


Until You're Mine

by mangx3



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Childhood Sweethearts, Domestic Violence, Drama, Extramarital Affairs, F/M, Family Drama, Family Issues, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Mild Sexual Content, Mild Smut, Minor Character Death, Misunderstandings, Mystery, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Suspense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:53:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 50
Words: 211,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23641909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mangx3/pseuds/mangx3
Summary: Now in the midst of adulthood and recently married, Kagome Higurashi is more than shocked when she sees her ex-boyfriend from high school, her first true love who still has a special place in her heart but has also broken it. Despite her reservations, she agrees to a seemingly meaningless reunion when their conversation brings back memories she doesn't want to remember, choices she can't make, and heartache she can't handle.
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha, Higurashi Kagome/Kouga, Miroku/Sango (InuYasha), Rin/Sesshoumaru (InuYasha)
Comments: 45
Kudos: 128





	1. Chapter 1

Taking a short glance at the thin silver watch on her slim wrist, Kagome Higurashi's honey brown eyes widened in disbelief at how late it was. Looking out of the window of her office, she sighed when she finally noticed that the sun was about to meet the horizon, casting an orange glow over the city. Kagome pressed the intercom button on her phone, immediately being met with a reply from her secretary.

"Yes, Mrs. Higurashi?"

"First of all, I thought I told you not to call me that. It's just Kagome, Chiro," Kagome chided gently. Mock anger coloring her tone, she instructed. "Now, as your boss, I demand that you go home right this instant and be with your husband and kids."

"I could say the same to you, ma'am… er… Kagome."

Chuckling into the intercom, Kagome smiled and dismissed her. "See you tomorrow, Chiro. But before you leave, could you please e-mail the Hideyoshi file to me? I think I'll try and get some work done on it at home."

"Of course. I'll see you tomorrow morning then, ma'am."

Kagome released the intercom button of the phone and rubbed her face lightly. She groaned as she stood up out of her leather chair. Stretching her arms over her head, she strode to the glass wall of her office, overlooking the Tokyo skyline. Placing her hands on her hips, she pouted at the massive crowds of people walking below her. With another deep sigh, Kagome turned back and leaned over her desk, shutting off the computer and placing numerous documents and folders within her briefcase before she slipped on her charcoal-colored pea coat, locking her office door behind her as she left. Kagome waved amiably and nodded to the several other lawyers on her floor and their assistants as she made her way to the elevator before she exited the marble lobby, the sound of her high heels hitting the floor lost in the clamoring sounds of endless numbers of others leaving the building at the same time.

Kagome stood just outside of the building, by the sidewalk corner, where there was a lane for taxis with the purpose of loading or unloading passengers. While she waited for a taxi, she pulled out her cell phone and unconsciously tightened her pea coat around her, trying to protect herself from the frigid autumn air. She looked around her suspiciously, trying to shake off the feeling that someone was watching her. Just as a taxi pulled up, she climbed in while dialing her phone.

After several rings, she heard a click on the other line when a deep, masculine voice answered the line. "Hello?"

Smiling to herself, Kagome greeted happily, "Hey, honey. I'm on my home from work right now. What do you want for dinner?" At her husband's hesitation, she frowned and deadpanned, "You're working late at the station, aren't you?"

"I'm sorry, Kagome, but we've just opened up a lead on this cold case file." Kagome could hear how contrite her husband was on the phone but couldn't help her disappointment. It was the third night in a row that he had come home late. "Kagome?"

"Kouga… the only reason you're coming home late is because of _work_ , right?"

"Kagome, you don't trust me?"

"No, no. I do…." Kagome bit down on her full bottom lip and when she looked up, she saw that they were turning the corner onto the street where she and Kouga lived. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to act like a crazy, suspicious, bitch wife that nags her husband all the time, but—"

"Kagome, don't worry about it. I don't think you're a naggy bitch wife."

"Oh? So you think that I'm crazy and overly suspicious?" Kagome quipped. She handed the driver his fare and exited the car, standing on the driveway of their grand mansion they had received from Kagome's father as a wedding gift. Kagome grunted as one of her heels sunk into the gravel of the driveway and broke off her conversation. "Because I don't think tha— shit!"

Kouga's worried voice echoed over the speaker. "Kagome? What happened?"

"Nothing, it's nothing. My heel just sunk into the gravel." She shook her foot loose and walked up the curved pathway leading to the three steps that directed her to their mahogany front door with intricate glass panels.

"Tell me again why we didn't opt to have normal concrete?" While she tried to convince Kouga was fine, Kagome hesitated inserting the key into the keyhole. She looked around her again and ignored the silent alarms going off in her head, determined to persuade her that she was being watched.

Kouga didn't seem to believe her and she heard him sigh over the line. "Look, I'll try to get done with this as soon as I can… Uhh… it should be another couple of hours." In a softer voice, he added, "I really am sorry, Kagome. I'll make it up to you tonight." As an afterthought, "As many times as you want," he added huskily.

Despite being married, Kagome couldn't help the blush that crept up her cheeks and she laughed breathlessly. "Kouga!" she reprimanded scandalously. Her blush deepened from a pale pink to a rosy red when he chuckled back.

Kagome whipped her head around her for the third time that evening when she swore she heard something akin to an animal growling. "Listen, you just get to work so that you get home to me sooner."

"Good idea. I love you."

"Me, too."

The line clicked and Kagome put her phone away. She finally managed to unlock the door and pushed it open, setting her briefcase down in the foyer near the stairs before turning around and closing the door, a breeze passing by and chilling her.

Kagome placed a kettle full of water onto the electric stove and let it boil while she searched the mahogany cupboards, pulling out a coffee mug along with a can of her favorite roast. When the kettle whistled, she poured the scalding hot water into the mug slowly and when she moved to put the kettle back down onto the stove, she suddenly whirled around, her arm swinging around.

While she swung the hot kettle, she yelled, "Who the hell are you and why are you following me?"

Kagome gasped when a strong, warm hand with long, clawed fingers encircled her thin wrist and the kettle stopped its journey, just inches away from the hanyou's stoic face.

"Inu….yasha?" she gasped.

Her fingers slackened around the kettle's handle and the weight was too much for such little resistance, allowing gravity to pull the kettle down towards the tiled floor until Inuyasha's other hand reached out and caught it, without him taking his tawny eyes off of hers.

"Hey, 'Gome," he muttered, using his old nickname for her.

With a grunt, she fought to release her wrist from his hand and he immediately, if not reluctantly, let go. Kagome cradled her wrist in her other hand, staring incredulously at him with wide eyes. Quickly, her honey eyes narrowed at him in total, complete resentment. Anger fueling her, she marched towards his frame and pushed at his chest with the palms of both of her hands. A cry of frustration escaped her mouth when he didn't budge and she punched her fists against the hard musculature of his chest.

"You can't be here," she cried. "You need to go!" Averting her eyes from his mesmerizing gaze, she leaned against him, unsure of whether she was trying to move him or whether she needed his support to stand. "Inuyasha, you can't be here," she cried again.

"'Gome, I just wanted to talk," he tried. He moved slowly to show her he was just returning the kettle and not trying to touch her.

"You can't call me that!" she retorted. Looking back up at him with hurt eyes, she repeated, "Don't call me that."

Inuyasha nodded understandingly and exhaled forcefully. "I wanted to talk," he said simply.

Backing away, Kagome leaned on the counter and crossed her arms stubbornly. "So talk," she deadpanned. "You're the one who's been following me, aren't you? Kami! I thought I was just being paranoid. You asshole…" She shook her head and rubbed one of her temples.

Inuyasha nodded and turned away so that Kagome could see him hanging his head while he ran a hand through his thick silver mane. Turning back to her, Kagome could see that Inuyasha's face was worn and tired and she felt pity for him.

"How the hell did you even get in here anyway?"

Kagome felt shivers travel down her spine when their eyes met again. Inuyasha explained, "You left the door open when you came in to put your briefcase down… You should really lock your door as soon as you enter the house."

"Spare me," she spit back. Kagome realized that he was the cold breeze that she felt as she closed the front door. Chewing the inside of her cheek, she relented and surrendered to the side of her that was constantly sympathetic, slightly hating herself at the same time. "You want some coffee?"

At his nod, she tiptoed and reached for another cup from the tall cupboard. Kagome had already grabbed the outermost cup that rested on the ledge of the shelf.

"Damn it," she grumbled. "Only Kouga can reach the…" she trailed off uncertainly at her realization of how tense Inuyasha became at the mention of her husband's name.

He gently moved Kagome out of the way and took the cup, resting it on the counter in front of her. She cleared her throat and continued pouring water and coffee, silence lingering between them. Kagome turned back to glance at Inuyasha, who was currently staring at the grains of wood on the kitchen island.

"You drink your coffee black right?" she asked. "I remember… you said that it's because of your youkai blood… it was the only way you could get even a minor jolt of caffeine from coffee."

Inuyasha nodded and walked to her side, taking the mug from her.

Kagome watched him warily and shook her head. She could feel a migraine starting up. Kagome blew lightly on the hot liquid in her mug before taking a sip, relishing in the warm, calming sensation it gave her. She started leaving the kitchen and nodded at Inuyasha, gesturing for him to follow her. She led Inuyasha to the dining room, where she and Kouga usually drank coffee with visitors and entertained friends.

Sitting down at one end of the dining table, Inuyasha took the seat at her right side. Kagome sucked her teeth uncomfortably in the awkward silence, her fingers hugging the warm ceramic mug in front of her. She noticed Inuyasha staring at her hands heatedly before he reached for his coffee.

"You should really blow on it a little before you—"

"Ahh, fuck." Inuyasha muttered, bringing the cup away from his face, contorted in slight pain. "Damn, that's hot."

"I tried telling you," Kagome scolded. "So why are you here, Inuyasha? I haven't seen you in what? Let's see… we were still dating for two years after high school until you cheated on me with that tramp. So I guess that makes five blessed years that I haven't seen your face," she concluded acerbically.

"'Gome, I never meant to—" Inuyasha began.

"I told you not to call me that!" Kagome yelled, her knuckles blanching white as her fingers clutched the mug. "Just… tell me… tell me why you're here. Why the sudden appearance? The elusive, mysterious Inuyasha Takado." Taking a sip, Kagome commented offhandedly, "Last I heard, you were moving to the States with your latest…" She shrugged. "Whore.”

Inuyasha nodded, taking her jabs and accusations without any excuses. "I lived there for the past couple of years, but I decided to move back." His golden eyes roved over her and Kagome felt strange having him look at her like that, as if he could see through her. She remembered the look vividly from before.

Her mind flashed back to heated, sweat slicked skin, hands roaming her body hungrily, passionately filled with wanting but soft lips attacked her own, constantly molding themselves against her, breaking away periodically for them to gasp in air for their burning lungs. She could picture his eyes staring straight into her eyes, clouded over with lust and desire while he licked his lips and gripped her waist tightly. Inuyasha's teeth made their way to her neck, where her heart pumped blood and sucked onto the soft skin, alternating with his rough tongue as he licked the bruising skin. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her body to his so that they were flush against each other, feeling the contours of each others' bodies. Her moans echoed in her own ears as his mouth traveled down her neck, kissing lightly as his lips came to the valley between her breasts…

"Kagome!" Inuyasha stared at her with concern. "Are you okay?"

Kagome could feel heat on her cheeks and she sighed forcefully, feeling the tightness in her lower abdomen and the familiar yearning she felt in between her legs and cursed under her breath. She could remember how much the hanyou used to tease her because he could always smell how aroused she was. The smirk that played on his lips and the way a fang would always reveal itself.

"Yeah, Inuyasha. I'm fine." She took another desperate gulp of her coffee, hoping the caffeine would jolt her out of her sex-hazed stupor. Shaking her head, she glared at Inuyasha suspiciously. "You still haven't answered that question." Leaning towards him, she hissed, her tone acidic, "It's kind of an important one, don't you think, Takado?"

"You look good, Kagome." Taking another sip of his coffee, he continued roving her frame with his eyes.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing?" Kagome asked helplessly. "I don't understand…what do you want from me?"

"Your company."

"Oh?" Kagome raised an eyebrow skeptically. "What kind of 'company', exactly? You do know that I’m married, right?"

Wincing, Inuyasha clarified, "Friendship." Inuyasha sighed heavily and he rolled his eyes when the look of suspicion didn't leave Kagome's facial expression. "Really."

"I don't believe you. You're a spoiled, selfish, arrogant son of a bitch who always wanted what he couldn’t have. The new shiny toy. Once you get it, you get over it real quick and move on to the next one. I moved on and I'm married, Inuyasha. I don't know what kind of shit you think you can pull with me, but I'm not going to go along with it."

Inuyasha leaned back in the chair and let out a low whistle. "Kagome, that was a long time ago. And I know that you're happy now. I would never do anything to jeopardize that for you… I care too much about you." When Kagome snorted, Inuyasha narrowed his eyes into tiny slits. "I love you, Kagome."

He froze, coughed, and reiterated, "I loved you. Those kinds of feelings just don't go away, Higurashi. Can't we be friends?"

"Suppose I go along with this. Suppose I believe that. What good would that do either of us Inuyasha? I don't know about you, but I only see this as a way to cause more trouble and heartache for _me_."

"Kagome," Inuyasha bit out, "all I really want is just for us to be friends."

"Not buying it."

"And why the fuck not? Kagome, this is sincere."

"Friends?"

"Friends."

"Fine. We'll see how this works out."

Inuyasha grinned back at her and Kagome mentally swooned. She brought the mug to her lips again when Inuyasha suddenly blurted out, "So is he better than me in bed?"

Kagome coughed, resisting the urge to spit out the scalding hot liquid at his devilishly handsome face, though the idea was more than appealing. He laughed raucously and handed her a napkin from the pile in the center of the table, helping her wipe her chin.

"Inuyasha!" She slapped his shoulder but chuckled in spite of herself, suddenly remembering why it was so easy to fall for the man. It was always so carefree, so honest around him. Unfortunately, it was also stressful and was honest only when the topic didn't center around him. Fighting a frown, she smirked and shrugged. "He sure lasts a lot longer and well… I haven't been loved like that before."

Inuyasha scowled, his lips pouting while his cheeks slightly colored in anger. "Hmph," was all he said.

The minutes passed by in silence and Kagome turned her attention to the two rings on her left ring finger, twirling the elaborate one with the diamond on it. Looking up, she saw that Inuyasha's eyes were locked onto her finger and the rings and immediately stopped. He looked up and their eyes met.

"So how are you doing, Kagome?"

Kagome shrugged sheepishly, never having felt more awkward. "I'm happy. It's been a while, Inuyasha… Five years is a lot to catch up on."

"Then maybe we should have more coffee dates."

Smiling wryly, she avoided the invitation. "Maybe… we'll see how we survive this one first." Her thin fingers traced the rim of the now empty mug absentmindedly. "Inuyasha, I—"

"Kagome," Inuyasha cut her off, "can we please at least give this a shot?" His gold eyes pleaded with her. When she opened her mouth to respond. he immediately changed the subject. "So… what could have happened in five years that would have you curse more than me in a conversation?"

Raising her dark eyebrows at the mood swings that seemed to coincide with his subject changes, Kagome cryptically replied, "I grew up, real quick. Had to."

Inuyasha visibly winced at the obvious jab at his past mistakes and tried changing the subject again. "Kagome—"

Kagome slammed her hands on the table and Inuyasha jumped. Had what he had done in a stupid drunken stupor really affected her this much to cause this much change? K

agome huffed, "Inuyasha, no! You're going to let me get this out because I've been keeping it bottled up for the past five years and you have no idea how much pain you caused me. You broke my heart. _No! Listen, damn it!_ You. Broke. It. I loved you, Inuyasha. Really, I did. Even though I couldn't believe that it was true because you, you were this _god_ and I was just the cute little goody two shoes that everyone liked but no one really cared about. Inuyasha, you say that you loved me, but I can't believe that because even if you were bored of me or whatever… what you did to me was so heartless."

Tears spilled up and over Kagome's cheeks and Inuyasha reached out a hand to wipe them away, the rough, callused pad of his thumb smoothing over the soft, tender skin of her cheeks. Biting down on his lip, he pulled his hand away, whispering, "I'm sorry."

Kagome stared at him incredulously. Disbelief written all over her face, she took in a shaky breath. She looked away, more saltwater accumulating in her almond shaped eyes. Kagome may not have realized it until now but deep down inside, she realized all that she really wanted was a real, heartfelt apology from him. Sniffling, she stood up and Inuyasha stood up hastily, hoping she wasn't going to kick him out, though he couldn't blame her. Instead he stood frozen when she threw herself into his arms and after only a moment's hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her petite frame, rubbing her back comfortingly. Finding herself leaning into the touch, Kagome jerked away from him, shaking her head frantically.

"No, no, no, no, no, no!" she mumbled, supporting her head in her own hands. Kagome whimpered softly and turned back to Inuyasha morosely. "Inuyasha, maybe you should just go home now."

"No." Inuyasha's voice was adamant and he moved towards her, ignoring her protests, stepping close to her so that he towered over her, his chest mere millimeters from the tip of Kagome's nose. Lowering his head, Inuyasha whispered, "Kagome…"

Kagome hurried away from him, to the other side of the room with the large dining table situated in between them. "Inuyasha, you said that you only wanted to be friends but I think that that's impossible for the two of us."

"You're not trying hard enough," Inuyasha reasoned.

Scoffing, Kagome placed her palm on her chest, complete indignation and righteousness etched onto her face. " _I'm_ not trying hard enough. Kami! This is just like you Inuyasha!" she hissed. "This entire time, you've been following me, snuck into my house, and practically demanded that we have this conversation. I welcomed you into my home and tried to keep the peace, but you have no respect for my boundaries!"

Inuyasha's gaze followed her hand to her chest and he noticed the light bouncing off of the jewelry nestled in the neckline of her navy blouse.

"You're still wearing the necklace I gave you," he realized. It wasn't anything extravagant. The thin silver chain barely supported the simple silver band that hung off in a makeshift necklace. "The ring…"

Kagome blushed under the scrutiny of his gaze on her porcelain neck. She touched the silver band lightly with the tips of her fingers, feeling the smooth metal.

"So?" she sniffed indignantly. "It used to mean a lot to me, Inuyasha. Did you think that I was the kind of woman to be so vindictive and immature that I would stop wearing it because the person who gave it to me turned out to be such an asshole?" Her voice was as cold as steel as she glared at the hanyou.

"Why did you keep it, Kagome? The truth."

"I already told you, Inuyasha. It means... _meant_ a lot to me." Kagome turned away, unable to meet his intense gaze. "I think it's time you go…" she murmured.

Crossing the room in long, powerful strides, Inuyasha held a clawed finger under the smooth, soft skin underneath her chin, lifting her face up towards him. Kagome stiffened in his touch and under his gaze and Inuyasha sighed somberly. His eyebrows knit together and he lowered his hand, moving away from her without breaking his passionate gaze.

"Fine."

He made to move back towards the front hall of the gorgeous mansion, but Kagome held his hand, keeping him where he stood. Noticing the look in his eyes as he stared deep into her own, Kagome realized that she couldn't just turn him out, though she wasn't so sure that she would be able to forgive him. At least not yet.

Gesturing back to the kitchen, she tried, "Why don't you at least keep me company while I cook dinner? If you want, you could stay—"

"No, it's alright."

"Come on, you owe me," she halfheartedly joked. But Kagome could see him flinch. A deep part in her heart found some kind of sick pleasure at that. "Inuyasha, really. Why don't you stay with me? We'll catch up for real."

Despite wanting to leave right now, there was a deeper, more primal instinct within Inuyasha's being that urged him to stay. And so, he followed her into the kitchen where she began cooking. He sat down on one of the tall stools surrounding the kitchen island, watching her as she prepped. Inuyasha sighed and leaned his cheek onto his hand, propped up on the table by his elbow.

"You always were impatient, whenever I cooked. As I recall, you didn't even like my cooking that much. You preferred the salty, unhealthy, preservative-filled foods," Kagome mused, a hint of scolding coloring her tone.

Inuyasha smirked. "Well it seems that you've learned how to cook more intricate dishes than just omelets," Inuyasha teased. He let a deep, rumbling chuckle echo in the kitchen when Kagome turned around and made a face at him, sticking her tongue out.

"I've had more practice… your apartment never had any real food, too. But I guess being a wife allows for some new perspective when it comes to cooking… Something simple tonight." Her voice drifted off and Inuyasha couldn’t be sure if she was talking to him or herself.

Glancing at her slender wrist, she continued, "Kouga will be home soon. It's best that I just have some sort of dinner on the table."

Kagome placed the bowl of udon noodles and vegetables on the table before she put the pot and pan in the sink, running water over them to let them soak.

"So, you asked what I've been up to in the past five years?" She turned around and leaned on the island, wiping her hands on a small hand towel. With a heavy sigh and slight smile playing on her lips, she rolled her eyes playfully. "Well, you know that I was pre-law during university… then I got into law school, passed all my exams—with flying colors, I might add—then I landed this job at a firm where I very happily make good money." Kagome smiled cheekily.

"Good for you," he commented sincerely. Inuyasha bit down hard on his lip and asked, "So when did you meet up with Kouga? We hadn't seen him since high school and we drifted apart after graduation… how'd you see him again?"

"Sango. She was having a small get together about, I don't know, three years ago? Anyways, it was a bunch of our old gang from high school and there he was. It was a few months after we had separated and you went off to America. He's a cop, you know. Well, I suppose detective is the correct title. I'm the law to his order," she chuckled. "We dated for two years after you and I broke up and got married last year." Her honey eyes watched his golden ones carefully, gauging his reaction.

' _Two years… that's all it took for Kouga to realize how special she was and make sure that she was his. I dated Kagome for nearly five… But I didn't take initiative to commit and I made an idiot mistake. Stupid!'_

Smoothly, Inuyasha smiled back pleasantly. "I'm glad to see you happy, Kagome." Kami, he really was glad to see her happy. It just pained him to know that it was without him in her life. Inuyasha ignored the sting and pressed, "You _are_ happy, aren't you?"

Nodding, Kagome affirmed, "Very."

"I've missed out on a lot, haven't I?" Inuyasha shook his head. "Speaking of Sango, how is she? And that lecher son of a bitch she's in love with? Did Miroku finally get the balls to ask her out?" Inuyasha smiled fondly at their two mutual friends, a rarity that Kagome raised her eyebrows at.

"Yeah, they've been dating for about a year now. They're happy, as well." Kagome commented offhandedly. "How about the mysterious Inuyasha Takado? What mischief did you get into in the States?"

She turned to reach for plates from the cabinet above the kitchen counter, grunting slightly until a larger hand appeared in front of her, pulling down a pile. Kagome smiled at him in thanks, taking three and putting them in the dining room. "Come on, tell me!" she called back.

"Oi, are you expecting someone? What's with the third plate?" Inuyasha put the rest of the pile of china back in the cabinet, slightly shaking his head in confusion.

Walking back, Kagome rolled her eyes at him, huffing tersely, "I presume you're going to be staying for dinner, aren't you? You and Kouga can catch up and… I don't know, do all sorts of stupid, macho, masculine things like yell at our television?"

"There's no interesting game on tonight, Kagome."

"It's not like I would know, would I?" Kagome placed her hands on her hips, raising her eyebrows at him boldly. Her eyes softened and she slightly tilted her head to the side in exasperation. "Please. Stay."

Shaking his head, Inuyasha declined politely. Rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, he reasoned, "Nah, I'm sure that you and Kouga would want some time alone." As he spoke, red began to color his cheeks in anger and embarrassment when he realized he revealed that he overheard Kagome and Kouga's plans for that night.

"Excuse me?" Kagome scoffed. "I should've known. You and your goddamn super hearing. You know, Inuyasha, one of these days you really _are_ going to hear something you're not supposed to and deeply, _deeply_ regret it and get yourself into bad shit."

"I think I already have," Inuyasha grumbled. Every fiber of his being shuddered with disgust at the thought, Kami forbid the _mental image_ , of Kouga and Kagome fucking each other. "Well it's not like a fucking light switch I can turn on and off, is it? Can _you_ stop hearing at will? Because I'd _love_ to know how you pull that off."

Gritting her teeth together, a strangled shriek escaped Kagome and she threw her hands in the air. "You're so infuriating! I can't even fathom how we were able to stay together for so long."

Chuckling dryly, Inuyasha retorted, "I think it's _because_ we were fighting that we got along so well together. Everything we thought about each other was out in the open when we argued…"

"Not everything."

Inuyasha grimaced again. She wasn't going to let this go. "Kouga's a couple of miles away… I better leave." He turned to head towards the front door until he heard Kagome's breath hitch in her voice, as if she wanted to say something but was hesitant about it. Inuyasha looked over his shoulder back at her and met her eyes, asking, "Yeah?"

Kagome blushed slightly, feeling the heat creep upwards and looked away pointedly. "Oh, uh, well… uhm…" Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she continued, "If your offer is sincere…"

"My 'offer'?"

"Yes. Your offer to be friends… Or did it have a sixty minute expiration date? Because then…" she playfully glanced down at her watch. "As of eighteen minutes ago, I ran out of time," she mock sobbed. Kagome stuck out her lower lip in counterfeit sadness.

Staring dumbfounded into her honey eyes that Inuyasha felt so drawn to, he raised his eyebrows in surprise and smirked back. "Well since you know the person who gave you the offer so well, I'm sure that the deadline can be extended."

"I'm touched," Kagome chuckled. "So… we'll meet up soon? You haven't told me about your adventures with those Yankees in America yet." Waving her arms around her in order to gesture at her grand house, she shrugged. "You know where I live. Just knock on the front door next time, if you don't mind."

Admiring her effort of civility, Inuyasha assured her, "No more following you around or sneaking in." Though the hanyou wasn't the superstitious type, he discreetly crossed two of his fingers behind his back, not knowing if those were words he could exactly stay true to. "And I'd like to meet up soon."

"How about we have a little tradition of conversation over coffee?" Kagome offered. "I'm free every Wednesday evening, once I get off from work."

"Then I guess I'll see you every Wednesday. Is that small café still standing? You know, the shithole a couple of blocks away from the high school?"

A crease appeared in between Kagome's eyebrows. "Oh, Kami. _That_ horrible place? No!" She giggled and continued, "No, no, uh… it _finally_ closed about three years ago and now a very classy café stands in its place."

"Oh yeah. I heard about that. Maybe because I own it." Inuyasha mentioned offhandedly.

"Oh?"

Kagome rolled her eyes when Inuyasha smirked back at her with a mysterious air as he replied, "Yeah, but that's a story for next week."


	2. Chapter 2

_Last Time…_

_"Then I guess I'll see you every Wednesday. Is that small café still standing? You know, the shithole a couple of blocks away from the high school?"_

_A crease appeared in between Kagome's eyebrows. "Oh, Kami._ That _horrible place? No!" She giggled and continued, "No, no, uh… it_ finally _closed about three years ago and now a very classy café stands in its place."_

_"Oh yeah. I heard about that. Maybe because I own it." Inuyasha mentioned offhandedly._

_"Oh?"_

_Kagome rolled her eyes when Inuyasha smirked back at her with a mysterious air as he replied, "Yeah, but that's a story for next week."_

* * *

"It's only Monday, Inuyasha. I think I can wait forty-eight hours for the juicy details. No need to be so suave about it."

Kagome led him to the front door and she smiled at him, sending butterflies straight to Inuyasha's abdomen. Her face fell slightly as she opened the door, leaning against it slightly while Inuyasha stood in the open doorway. "Inuyasha… I know that we're trying out this whole friendship thing and I'm being sincere in my effort but I want to warn you right now… it's going to take a lot for me to forgive you."

Inuyasha nodded solemnly. "I know. I'm not asking for your forgiveness. At least not anymore. Right now I'm just asking for a chance. I've missed you, Kagome," he admitted. "I won't ask you for that, not yet."

"Thank you."

"Anything for you."

Kagome took a deep breath to stifle the emotion that was overwhelming her and making itself substantial through the saltwater blurring her vision. Her voice was thick and she leaned forward to kiss Inuyasha on the cheek as she said goodbye, whispering near his ear. "It was nice of you to apologize, Inuyasha. I'll see you on Wednesday."

She pulled her lips away from his cheek and found him staring at her again with that unfathomable expression on his face. Inuyasha nodded abruptly and left.

Inhaling deeply once more, she went back to the kitchen again and lit a large, fragrant candle, not knowing whether she wanted Kouga to know just yet that Inuyasha had made a sudden reappearance in her life. Absentmindedly, Kagome traveled throughout the foyer, kitchen, and dining room, waving her hand as a fan for the candle, its strong scent of pine needles blending in with Inuyasha's natural scent of pine, sandalwood, and spice. She knew that if she tried to mask his scent with a completely different scent it would only makes it more obvious to Kouga's sensitive sense of smell. Inuyasha had told her that during the high school years of their relationship when they had to disguise his obviously masculine scent that lingered in her bedroom from her mother.

' _Do I really want to hide this from Kouga? There's nothing_ to _hide from him… but still. I know he'd get jealous or overprotective about Inuyasha…_ '

Kagome sighed unhappily and put the candle down on the dining room table while she set the table. She noticed the third plate and frowned.

' _Well I_ thought _I wanted to share this with Kouga… but looking back, I'm still not so sure.'_

Shaking her head, Kagome brought the large bowl of noodles to the dining room and went out to their backyard, leaning over the railing of their deck, hugging her arms as the cold night air blew past her, staring at the green expanse of their vast backyard. She didn't know how long she was out there but once she heard the sound of Kouga's car rolling onto their gravel driveway, she had blinked and the orange glow of the sky was gone, replaced by a deep navy blue and the faint twinkling of bright stars. The glass sliding doors had opened behind her and Kouga stared at his wife worriedly.

"Kagome? Baby, what's wrong?" He stood behind her, wrapping his muscular arms around her petite frame, resting his chin on the crown of her head. "You're freezing," he noted. Sighing, he squeezed her tighter. "I'm sorry I'm late."

"No, no. It's okay. I just wanted some fresh air and I guess I just got lost in my thoughts." Kagome admitted.

"You have a big case or something?"

"Yeah… I actually brought home some of the files and asked Chiro to e-mail me some more," she murmured absentmindedly.

That was the truth, Kagome reasoned, but not what she was thinking about. Turning around in his arms, she circled her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest, sighing contently. "You must be hungry. Let's go back in."

"Are you sure that that's it?" Kouga leaned away from her slightly to search her face.

Looking upwards into Kouga's concerned arctic eyes, Kagome exhaled and teasingly rolled her eyes at him. One of her slender fingers reached up and traced the line of his lips softly. "You worry about me too much," she whispered.

"Hmm… with good reason," he mumbled against the softness of her finger. He pulled her hand away softly and lowered his lips onto hers, which Kagome eagerly responded to. Against her soft lips, Kouga whispered huskily, "You know that I'm a man of my word, Kagome…"

A blush rose to Kagome's cheeks as she stared at her husband, hearing his suggestive words. Kouga chuckled at how innocent Kagome still was after being married for a year and losing her virginity years ago, even before their relationship. "But I made you dinner! You must be hungry."

Raising his eyebrows provocatively, Kouga guaranteed, "I _am_ , Kagome." He sighed and pulled away. "But it's late. You're probably hungry for food. It smells good." Kouga kissed her chastely on the cheek as they walked back into the house, their arms around each other.

Dinner passed by without much incident and Kouga and Kagome washed the dishes together and acted as they usually did— the picture perfect example of suburban life and marriage. Kagome and Kouga headed upstairs since it was late and as they ended up on the first landing, Kagome sighed wistfully at her closed office door, not getting any work done but she pushed the thought aside and continued to the second landing where she and Kouga's bedroom was. There were also two other guest bedrooms on down the hall but they hadn't had to use them due to the numerous guest bedrooms on the first and second floors.

The couple entered their dark bedroom, already well accustomed to the room's layout and not needing any light. Kouga immediately stretched out onto their generously sized bed, holding the remote at arm's length while the other was tucked behind his head and almost pushed the power button to turn on the television. His eyes strayed, however, when Kagome began to take off her work clothes, carefully unbuttoning the navy silk cap-sleeved blouse before delicately folding it. The ivory, unblemished skin of her neck was exposed and swelled into the full, round breast concealed by the black lace of her bra.

Kouga unconsciously licked his lips at the sight of the two mounds as she leaned over, resting a hand on her nightstand to take off her tall charcoal-colored pumps. He forced his eyes away from the tantalizing appendages and continued traveling down the smooth, flat expanse of her abdomen to where her small fingers worked to unfasten the button on her black slacks. Kagome turned away from him, sitting on the edge of the bed after letting the soft fabric slide down her long legs and gently kicked them off, folding them as well. The muscles of her back were not as obvious as a man's but Kouga could see them work as she stood up, her spine disappearing as her posture straightened, revealing the matching black lace that covered her behind, hugging the curves of her hips fantastically. Kagome took the clothes and disappeared into her walk-in closet, presumably putting them in her laundry pile and tucking her shoes away in the tall shelf of shoes she had.

Screwing his eyes shut, Kouga took deep breaths in an effort to stop the heat that was quickly coursing through his veins, downwards to his groin. Groaning, Kouga kicked off his shoes, socks, and pants. He pulled the white, long-sleeved shirt over his head and the undershirt he had on, so that he was left in only his boxers, the heat suffocating him. He threw an arm over his face, continuing his deep breathing. Kagome made her way out of the closet and to their ensuite bathroom, crossing the bedroom. She turned to say something to Kouga but smiled softly when she noticed his deep breaths and how his arm was carelessly thrown over his face, thinking he was sleeping.

Kagome stepped over to his side of the bed and leaned over him, her eyes narrowing suspiciously when she saw the strained expression on his face. She noticed that he was certainly breathing hard for someone who was supposed to be sleeping soundly. She bit her lower lip as a mischievous thought came into her mind. Kouga, meanwhile, was about to lose his mind as he could smell her scent so close to him. He had a feeling that she wasn't in the mood tonight and he wasn't going to force her into anything, but she was making it difficult to exercise self control. Kouga felt the mattress shift beneath him and his eyebrows came together in confusion.

He lifted his head and suppressed the urge to jump her. Kagome was sitting at the foot of the bed, biting her lower lip in a way that had Kouga almost moaning just from the sight of her.

Shyly, Kagome crawled up the bed, straddling her husband's hips and smiled tentatively at him before looking down at herself. When she looked up into his eyes, Kouga was surprised to see a sultry expression on her face. She leaned forward, supporting her upper body on her palms, which were placed on either side of Kouga's torso. He gulped and chuckled breathlessly.

"Since when have you been such a she wolf?" he grunted, closing his eyes in bliss when he felt her soft lips all over his jaw line, steadily climbing up to his temple, across his forehead, down to the tip of his nose, to the corner of his lips.

Opening his eyes, Kouga began playfully teasing, "I thought you were going to take a shower?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Kagome answered back simply, "Well… I _was_ going to take a shower, but then I realized that I'm going to get all hot," she kissed him slowly, deeply, gaining a throaty moan from Kouga.

"And sticky," she panted when she resurfaced, before touching her lips to Kouga's neck, where she could feel his pulse and kissed it, sucking slightly. She brought her lips to one of his elfish ears, whispering seductively, "And sweaty. So I think I'd rather take a shower tomorrow morning."

Kagome's soft, warm lips traveled back down the column of his neck and he moaned slightly every time her lips touched his heated skin but gasped when she took one of his nipples in her mouth. "Little… wolf…" he panted.

Releasing the sensitive body part, Kagome smirked up at him. "I did marry a wolf demon…" she cooed playfully.

Her hands slid down his chest and Kouga groaned. Kagome made a tiny sound of surprise when Kouga's hands tightly gripped her hip and the other her waist. She was pulled flush against his body and giggled when, in a feat of pure youkai agility, Kouga was able to reverse positions without Kagome having to be crushed by his body weight or even feel much movement.

Kagome had not even adjusted to their new position when she groaned in pleasure, arching her back at the simultaneous sensations of Kouga kneading his hand against one of her breasts through the black lace while his rough tongue alternated with the soft nips of his fangs against her collarbone, soon moving downwards above the hand massaging the soft globe of flesh.

Sighing in gratification, Kagome sat up, pressing herself against her husband's torso while she cradled his face in her hands, pressing her lips against his roughly, grunting impatiently as she rocked her hips against his, bringing a deep, rough cry from Kouga's throat. Growing impatient, Kagome continued the motion, rocking faster and faster until Kouga forced her to stop, breathing deeply. His hands fumbled at her back, trying to unhook her bra, finally getting it when Kagome guided his hands. As soon as the lace fell away, he pushed her back down to the bed as gently as he could, his mouth descending on her exposed breast. His lips latched onto the plum colored nipple that had stiffened in excitement and he suckled her breast feverishly, so that Kagome began panting and arching into his mouth, feeling heat spread to the area between her legs even faster than before.

"Kouga," she groaned, her hands grasping the dark hair on his head, pushing him down harder. Kouga quickly took the hint and he swirled his tongue around her nipple and wrenched even more whimpering sighs from his wife, who writhed underneath him desperately.

Kouga removed Kagome's tangled fingers from the roots of his hair and continued his ministrations downwards, kissing and nipping her soft skin from the valley between her breasts, down her sternum, sucked at her naval, and reached the hem of her black lace panties. Smirking, Kouga raked his teeth on the sensitive skin above the thin fabric until he felt the area where her hipbone jutted out at her side, causing Kagome to gasp, and he slowly dragged his teeth down her hip, bringing the lace with him. His hands gripped her hips and lifted them slightly, allowing the panties to slide off and he continued pulling them off and tossed them aside.

The wolf youkai lifted one of her legs, kissing her instep and continuing the trail along her inner calf, knee, and inner thigh. His other hand slowly scraped down the smooth expanse of her stomach and stopping on the mound of flesh just above the apex of Kagome's thighs. The woman in question bucked her hips against his hand pleadingly. Kouga glanced at her face and softly pressed his lips against hers, and her half-lidded eyes fluttered, her dark lashes trembling. Her nails scratched the front of his chest, down his abs, leaving angry red marks in their wake but Kouga groaned happily.

This was the chance Kagome took to reverse their positions again, grinding her hips into his and Kouga grunted when he felt just how wet she was, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. Smiling sweetly at him, Kagome pulled his boxers down to his ankles until Kouga helped by kicking them off, revealing the hard, sensitive heat that Kagome's body desperately craved.

She allowed him to overpower her again, rolling their tangled bodies across the bed and assault her lips with his as one hand continued massaging one of her breasts as before, but the other one slid down her side, sending shivers through Kagome's body. Kouga put his knee in between hers, gently spreading them apart and suddenly gasped, pulling his mouth away from Kagome's and nestling his forehead in the crook of her forehead when he felt her small hand reach in between them and grip him roughly. A pearl of pre-cum appeared on the tip of his shaft and the pad of Kagome's thumb smoothed over it slowly, the movement activating every sensitive nerve. He breathed heavily while he reflexively thrust into her warm hand that was sliding up and down his shaft urgently. He felt their bodies shift so that he was once again on his back while Kagome sat at his side, her mouth sending hot waves over his body while she pressed her lips to his uncovered chest, once again sucking hard on his nipple, garnering the same response as before, intensified by her ministrations on his erect member.

"Ka…go…me!" he bit out. He reluctantly took her hand away from around his aching cock. "Not yet…" he murmured before pulling her hand away. Kouga leaned back and grabbed her knees suddenly but gently pulled them even further apart, feeling his member ache and pulse even more when the scent of her core reached his nostrils and he almost took her, but he restrained himself, wanting to satisfy his wife.

Pulling him down by wrapping her arms around his neck, Kagome whimpered while she kissed her husband, bucking her hips up against his heated flesh, begging. Not able to deny his wife, Kouga took a hand to her heated core and gently rubbed her folds. Thrashing her head in pure pleasure, Kagome felt her lower abdomen tighten and she arched in the sensation before her eyes shot open once Kouga's fingers gently moved past her swollen lower lips and began stroking the small nub hidden in her folds. Kagome gasped, her temperature rising and she raised her hips, pushing against his hand. She began to whine and groan his name against the sensations that had her skin slick with hot sweat and tremors that caused her body to shake uncontrollably.

Just before she began climbing to her climax, Kouga pulled his fingers away, taking his slick, wet digits to his mouth. Kouga sucked on the glistening fingers and lowered his head for a kiss and Kagome tasted herself. She panted unevenly as she found the rhythm with which Kouga was probing her entrance with a finger. She squirmed under him, only exciting him more while she pulled him down for a passionate kiss, immediately skipping over any sweet initiation and diving her tongue into his hot mouth, battling with him for dominance as they explored each other's mouths. Kouga kept pumping his finger into her, changing his tempo. Soon, he slowed down to an infuriating pace and Kagome sporadically ground her hips against his hand before being shocked when he added another digit, slowly pushing until he was inside her to the knuckle, forcing Kagome to pull her lips away, groaning in ecstasy.

Just as Kagome's moans and breathing began to quicken and her pleasure almost reached its peak, Kouga pulled out his fingers. Kouga took her wrist and pinned it above her head. He spread her legs apart even more and groaned as the scent of her arousal caused him to harden more. Before he lost control, Kouga roughly pressed his lips against hers again, surely bruising them, and brought the tip of his shaft to her entrance. With another moan, Kagome arched into him before she bucked her hips upwards, the head of Kouga's member disappearing into her.

The couple gasped together and was still as the wave of pleasure passed over them, their heated bodies frozen in gratification. Kagome's hands clutched Kouga's shoulders tightly, digging her nails into his skin and he hissed in pain. Kouga moved his hips towards Kagome's at a painfully slow speed and Kagome whined, gasping as she pulled herself closer to his body, begging for more. "Kouga," she groaned. "Please…"

Wanting to please his wife, Kouga gave a hard thrust so that he was inside her to the hilt and he paused before he pulled out nearly all of the way, only the tip of his length hidden as he plunged back into her depths before he cried out in ecstacy. Her named keened out of his mouth. He felt her writhe under him more urgently and understood immediately, quickening his pace and thrusting into her as fast and as hard as he cried could, the tightness of her inner walls against his hard length resembling heavenly bliss to him.

With every thrust Kouga made, Kagome responded with a roll of her hips, getting a deeper penetration. Panting, she whimpered, her nails scratching over the tan, muscular span of Kouga's back and she wrapped her legs around his waist, pushing their hips even closer and their bodies were drenched with sweat as they tangled together into one, rocking their hips so that they crashed together, the contact and friction sending them further and further into bliss.

Kagome began to feel a familiar, heated sensation pooling in her lower abdomen, tightening like a coil. She sighed and gasped every time Kouga thrusted and licked her lips as she removed her legs from his waist and lifted them to rest on Kouga's shoulders so that as he thrust, the head of his member touched the rigid spot of skin within her womb. Her hands gripped the sheets of their bed tightly and she continued gasping his name into the heated air around them. Soon, she yelled out as the coil within her lower abdomen tightened until it exploded, sending tremors all over her body. Lowering his mouth around one of her breasts at the motion, Kouga grunted as Kagome's inner walls clenched around him and he continued pumping into her, feeling the familiar tingling sensation throughout his length and the similar tightening in his abdomen. Kouga groaned as his seed emptied into her womb, continuing to thrustinto her until his member was emptied, their fluids mixing and surrounding it as he pulled out, covering Kagome's inner thighs.

Happily, he rolled them onto their sides and held her close to his body. He lowered his lips onto hers in a sweet, breathless kiss. "Kagome…" Kouga panted, "I thought you were tired tonight."

Snuggling deeper into his side, Kagome breathlessly joked, "I had some coffee earlier. I guess that's the caffeine jolt I needed." Her mind drifted away at the mention of caffeine _. 'Coffee… Inuyasha.'_

"Kagome? Kagome, are you listening?"

Blinking, Kagome replied, "Hmm? I'm sorry, I guess the coffee didn’t work as well as I thought…”

Encircling her body within his embrace, Kouga felt Kagome's thick dark hair tickle his neck and under his chin. "Weak human," he kidded. " _My_ weak human," he repeated with a gentle, fond tone in his voice.

"Hmm," Kagome reiterated, her eyes fluttering close in a deep sleep that had her more confused than she was in an awakened state.

Flashes of images from her relationship with Inuyasha were constantly being stacked against her relationship with Kouga and regret was fighting with her common sense. Because, deep down in her heart, Kagome knew that there would be no possible way that she could maintain just a strictly friendly relationship with the man who was able to both win and break her heart, therefore sealing it off to anyone else. It was only a matter of time until she was his.


	3. Chapter 3

_Last Time…_

_Encircling her body within his embrace, Kouga felt Kagome's thick dark hair tickle his neck and under his chin. "Weak human," he kidded. "_ My _weak human," he repeated with a gentle, fond tone in his voice._

_"Hmm," Kagome reiterated, her eyes fluttering close in a deep sleep that had her more confused than she was in an awakened state._

_Flashes of images from her relationship with Inuyasha were constantly being stacked against her relationship with Kouga and regret was fighting with her common sense. Because, deep down in her heart, Kagome knew that there would be no possible way that she could maintain just a strictly friendly relationship with the man who was able to both win and break her heart, therefore sealing it off to anyone else. It was only a matter of time until she was his._

* * *

Monday night had gone by too quickly and Kagome's Tuesday was full of anxiety, causing a plethora of accidents and clumsiness on her part. Along with the exceptional clumsiness that had plagued her all day, she was unfocused and obviously distracted. Kagome had had to excuse herself from a meeting with the heads of her law firm just so she could splash cold water on her face in the ladies' bathroom and try to prevent her mind from wandering off again.

Sensing her boss' distress, Chiro wisely suggested that Kagome go home to rest while she rescheduled all of Tuesday's meetings. Kagome had immediately gone to bed, her mind swimming with memories, regrets, worries, and emotions that she had long thought were successfully locked away. She didn’t even remember to cook or order a dinner for Kouga who worried about his wife who had slept through the early evening into the night.

Now it was the early hours of Wednesday morning and Kagome laid awake in the dark, staring at her bedroom ceiling while she felt the warmth of Kouga's body, as he was lying in peaceful sleep next to her. Her earlier anxiousness was now mixed with a sense of excitement and dampened by fear. What if everything turned out worse and they separated again, never seeing each other again? Or worse, their weekly meetings would work out and Kagome would see Inuyasha at least once a week for perhaps the rest of her life. Kagome shut her eyes closed tightly as she could, hoping that somehow the mere desire to fall into a dreamless sleep would overrule the wild thoughts running rampant in her mind.

In any case, it didn’t. She was still lying awake in her bed when she saw the rays of orange light enter her bedroom and with a heavy sigh, she started her morning. She prepared coffee for herself and Kouga, her hands freezing in place as she was about to pour coffee into Kouga's mug, groaning internally as she remembered it was the mug Inuyasha used two days ago. She slammed the mug down to lift a hand to her forehead.

Kouga came up behind her, his arms snaking around her waist while he kissed the top of her head affectionately. "Are you okay?" he asked, brushing hair away from her face. He temporarily disentangled himself from her to take his mug while he leaned against the counter. He handed Kagome her coffee and continued, "You weren't feeling well yesterday, either. Maybe you should stay home and rest."

"Kouga I'm fine—"

"Kagome, you're my wife. I'm supposed to worry and fuss over you. You have dark circles under your eyes, which are bloodshot, and you seem a little pale. Are you sure that you're okay to go to work?"

Forcing a smile, Kagome reassured him, "Yes, I'm fine. That was some fine detective work there. Speaking of which, hurry up. You're going to be late." At Kouga's hesitance, she added, "And if I don't feel well at any point during the day, I will go home and call you, okay?"

She rolled her eyes at him kissed him quickly but squeaked in surprise when Kouga gripped her tightly, keeping them connected in a searing kiss that had Kagome leaning against him breathlessly until her mind came out of the haze and began worrying about the Hideyoshi case and the fact that she had barely gotten any work done on it in the past two days.

Apparently, Kouga noticed her distraction as his hands skimmed along her back before several of his fingers danced down her spine and along her bottom. He pulled her to him and whined, his lips trying to get hers to move with his. She laughed against his mouth and pushed him away.

"Go to work!" she ordered amongst her laughter. She watched him walk out through the foyer with her hands on her hips and threatened him, "What if I really am sick? Now you've got it!"

"I'm a youkai, we're not quite so fragile," he teased back before closing the door behind him.

However lighthearted his words were, they sent an icy dagger through Kagome's chest as she was suddenly overcome with the memory of a teenage Inuyasha who made fun of her for getting a cold after an ill planned swim in a river one autumn afternoon.

* * *

_Nine Years Ago…_

_Kagome shivered on the side of the riverbank and clutched the soaked jacket even tighter after a chain of violent sneezes. She sniffled pathetically and pouted at the sluggish river, flowing slowly in front of her. She sniffled again and her eyebrows rose when she felt the warm, thick fabric being laid over her shoulders. Her shivering almost immediately stopped when an arm joined the jacket, wrapping around her and pulling her closer._

_Leaning into Inuyasha's side, Kagome accused in a nasal voice, "This is all your fault, you know. If you just hadn't jumped in there, then I wouldn't have come in after you."_

" _Keh! You're such an idiot. Like that's_ my _fault." Nevertheless, his arm tightened around her and his hand rubbed her upper arm in an effort to quicken the warming process. "Such an idiot," he muttered. He looked down at Kagome, trying to fight the smile that crept on his lips at her drowned cat appearance._

_Kagome realized and smacked him hard, at the same time trying to pull away from him. "Bastard! Now I'm sick!" she moaned in self-pity._

" _I can make you feel better right now," Inuyasha said smugly._

" _Oh yeah? I'd like to see you prove it."_

_Shrugging Inuyasha, replied, "Okay. Just remember that it was you who said that."_

_Out of nowhere, Inuyasha pulled her closer to him once again, but at the same time, a gentle finger lifted her chin so that her face tilted upwards while he lowered his lips onto hers, moving tenderly, coaxing hers to move with them. The hand under her chin slowly brushed against her cheek, pushing back strands of wet hair and Inuyasha cupped her face gently while continuing his sweet, yet passionate assault on Kagome's lips. He pulled away and Kagome's eyes were still closed while she sighed happily, causing an arrogant smirk to appear on his face._

_Kagome instantly turned a bright shade of red and sniffed, "Don't blame me if you get sick now, too!"_

_Inuyasha lowered his face again so that they were nose to nose and Kagome swore she was going cross-eyed from trying to look into his eyes at such a close proximity._

_"You're just a weak human," he teased. "I, on the other hand, am a hanyou and I can handle a little cold." He proved his point his point by touching his lips to hers again, but Kagome was defiant now, her lips similar to stone underneath his. His eyes were still closed and he mumbled against her mouth, "Come on 'Gome. You know you want to."_

_His breath tickled her nose and warmed her frigid face but Kagome made a point of not moving or reciprocating the kiss, no matter how lovely it felt… how lovely it made_ her _feel. Inuyasha's lips moved away from hers, but never left her skin. They grazed her cheek and down her jaw before touching gently on the underside of her chin and settling on the sensitive spot on her neck where Inuyasha could feel her heart pumping blood. Inuyasha's mouth moved skillfully on the spot while stroking her hair softly. When his lips moved upwards again, he had succeeded in getting her lusciously soft lips to mold themselves against his while he relished the feel of her soft skin._

_They had pulled apart, breathless and Kagome sighed, rolling her eyes while she leaned against him for a second time. Inuyasha looked down at her and surrounded her with two arms, securing his jacket over her. "Good date?" he asked._

_Scoffing, Kagome replied. "Horrible first date." She shuddered for effect. She paused and turned around in his arms with a small smile. "But a wonderful first kiss."_

* * *

With a horrible wave of nausea, Kagome was overcome with the realization that this weekly appointment of theirs wasn't good for her health. Her own feelings for Inuyasha never really disappeared. She had smothered them but they surfaced anyway.

The full force of this realization grabbed her and Kagome suddenly fell to her knees, her chest heaving at the panic that began to consume her. Her gasping worsened when the feelings that she had repressed for nearly half a decade now threatened to take over. The most powerful of these feelings was the hurt and betrayal that marked the end of her and Inuyasha. Saltwater joined her gasps and turned into massive sobs that wracked her entire body. Kagome found herself heaving on the floor unused to panic attacks.

Slowly rising up from the floor, she reached out a shaky hand, grabbed her bag to pull out her phone, and called Chiro.

Answering on the first ring, Kagome sent Chiro all of her love and gratitude in that moment. "Yes, Kagome? Is there anything I can do for you? Are you going to be running late?"

"Chiro, I don't think I'm going to be coming in today. Give the Hideyoshi case to someone else. I can't handle the workload right now." Her voice was weak and broken. In the following pause, Kagome knew Chiro was deciding whether to send someone to check on her. "It's just a bug, Chiro. I'll be fine."

"If you say so. I can call Kouga for you if you want."

"No, that's fine. I'll do it myself. Thanks, Chiro."

' _And if I don't feel well at any point during the day, I will go home and call you, okay?'_

Letting her hand hang limply at her side, Kagome made her way to the large bay window seat overlooking the expansive backyard with vacancy in her expression. Curling up and pressing her head against the cool glass, she heard a tone and looked down, noticing that her phone still hadn't hung up and Kagome stared at it blankly.

Kagome hung up and tossed her phone aside, watching it slide across the floor. For the first time, Kagome broke her promise to Kouga— she didn't call him and didn't want to. Instead, she found the tiniest bit of solace in curling up in her kitchen window and allowing herself to feel, for the first time, everything that she had blocked and internalized when the love of her life crushed her heart and took the pieces with him five years ago.

She found, after the initial hour of sobbing and emotional torture, after she had finally let go of her rage and pain at being betrayed and left, there was only a choice left in her heart: ambivalence or happiness. The decision had her mind spinning for the next several hours as she watched the sun move higher and higher above her.

Another sigh escaped her and Kagome finally faced the question that plagued her.

' _Do I finally just let go of him? Can I? Or can I find a way to be happy and have him… as a friend…'_

Her breath had fogged up the window and she stopped leaning on it to wipe it off. The first swipe revealed something she hadn't expected and caused her to freeze.

Inuyasha was in her backyard, on her deck, his arm poised to knock on the sliding glass doors. He paused and Kagome found his amber gaze locked on her. Her breath hitched in her throat and she gave a small nod. Inuyasha slid open the doors and closed it behind him, then moving into the kitchen where Kagome curled up against the window.

Gently, Inuyasha knelt down in front of the seat and put a hand on her arm. "'Gome? Kagome? What's wrong?"

Hearing the worry in his voice both satisfied and bothered Kagome. She wanted him to care about her but didn't know if she _should_ want him to care about her.

Without turning away from the window, she asked, "What are you doing here?"

"We were supposed to meet up today." Inuyasha's voice sounded hurt at the thought that she'd forgotten. "I went to go pick you up at work but when I got to your floor, your assistant said that you hadn't come in. I came here to make sure you were okay."

"Oh."

Inuyasha's eyebrows came together in disbelief and he recoiled from her. "'Oh'? 'Oh'? Fuck, Kagome! That's all you have to say to me?"

"Are you kidding me? I'm genuinely not feeling well and _I'm_ supposed to apologize to a selfish son of a bitch like _you_? Who the hell do you think you are?" She sat up and shoved him harshly.

Taken by surprise, Inuyasha couldn't catch his balance and fell on his back on Kagome's kitchen floor while she rose up from the seat, towering over him. Kagome felt powerful, capable. She enjoyed watching him sprawled out below her, with a trace of fear in his expression because she was sure that he had never truly seen her rage before. Oh, he knew her annoyance, her anger, but never her rage. She'd been too kind. Not anymore. If he really wanted to be her friend and like he claimed, he was going to have to meet this side of her.

He was going to be very well acquainted.

With a grunt, Kagome lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg, ignoring his protests. "How _dare_ you enter _my_ home and demand something of me? I welcomed you into it— I _welcomed_ you into my home and you have such a lack of decency to show me the same respect?" She placed another well-aimed kick at his torso this time. " _You_ , the bastard and cheating asshole who _broke_ me five years ago?" Kick. "The bastard who suddenly decides to show up out of the blue— _stalking me home_ — and once again, _demands_ —" Kick. "—that we try and salvage a friendship out of this broken hell that _you_ put us in. _Me_ in." Two kicks.

Panting and rosy-cheeked, Kagome leaned against the wall and felt her legs come out from under her. She slowly slid down and sat like a broken puppet, her limbs flailed out and her head hung down. Inuyasha ignored the pain she just caused him with her heels and instead felt his heart go out to the young woman who sat no more than two feet away from him, looking like she held the weight of the world on her shoulders. He looked closely at her and frowned. Her hair was flat and messy, her eyes were bloodshot and he could smell the saltwater when he first entered the house, her skin looked sallow and sunken in, and her smile had run away, it seemed.

' _And it's all my fault. I showed up two days ago and completely ruined her happiness.'_

The last time he saw Kagome, while he was following her, she grinned at everyone, her cheeks were naturally rosy, not from exertion or crying, her eyes had brightness in them, and she resembled a perfectly happy wife, lawyer, and person. Not this broken doll.

Tentatively, carefully, Inuyasha slid across the floor and sat next to her. Looking at her limp hand lying in her lap, he lightly covered it with his own hand, easily absorbing the small appendage in his. He gave her hand a soft squeeze and with a soft tug, managed to pull her into his arms. Inuyasha was shocked to see that she didn't resist or snatch her hand away. Kagome's body quivered and the small shaking quickly turned into large heaves as she cried into his chest. He rubbed her hair and back, trying to comfort her, making quiet shushing sounds, telling her that everything was going to be okay.

It was like he was doused in cold water when he grasped just how badly he had hurt her and how horrible of a person he was to even try and come back into her life. He ruined her before. He knew that now. And he was doing it again and he wanted to kill himself for it.

"I'm sorry."

The tiny whisper was almost inaudible to even his ears. The sound of it still nearly brought Inuyasha to tears— the sound was broken, crushed, and pained. His embrace tightened and he buried his face into her dark hair, trying to hide from the world.

"No, Kagome. You're right. I'm so sorry. Please don't apologize."

"But I hurt you. I don't want to hurt you," she sniffled into his chest.

Shaking his head, Inuyasha tried joking, "Keh! A little kick from a small human is nothing." He pulled away from her and used his thumbs to wipe away the steam of tears. "You're right. I'm the bastard that ruined everything. You're too good, Kagome. I didn't deserve this. You're right. I have no reason to try and mess up everything you have."

Kagome moved away from him and pulled her hair away from her face, smoothing it down as she worked it into a ponytail. She managed a weak smile at him. Inuyasha frowned, though, as he saw the immense sadness in her honey-colored eyes, their usual light dimmed. "I promised to give you a chance, didn't I? I'm sorry I forgot about coffee. Just let me go wash my face and we can go."

Mechanically, almost as if she were hypnotized, Kagome stood up and left the kitchen with steady, even strides. Inuyasha heard her go into another hallway and then the sound of rushing water from a faucet. He cradled his head in his hands and stared out at the window above him, wondering if he should just leave right now and never bother Kagome again.

' _No,' he decided resolutely. 'I left her once_ and _that didn't do any good for either of us. I'm staying. I came back to Tokyo because I realize that I need Kagome. Even if she doesn't or can't love me… it won't stop me.'_

Inuyasha's ears twitched as he finally registered that the sound of the sink had ceased and he lifted himself up from the floor easily and lithely. It slightly unnerved him at how easy it was for him to maneuver his way around Kagome's house, his body naturally drawn to her. It wasn't just that he could easily pick up on her scent. It was more that even that, his base, primal instincts. It was a pull that he felt within him that had nothing to do with his physical body. He rounded a corridor and found a petite woman in his arms instantly, having collided into her and causing her to comically bounce backwards.

"Keh! Can't you ever watch where you're going?" he teased.

Throwing him a scathing look, Kagome haughtily turned her nose up at him, grumbled, and trudged her way past at him. She sighed dramatically when Inuyasha wouldn't relinquish her shoulders and she crossed her arms and looked up at him, an expression on her face similar to one of an exasperated mother of a restless toddler.

"Yes, Inuyasha?" Her voice was sickly sweet and patronizing.

Glaring at her, Inuyasha let go of her and walked away, towards the front door. He grunted as a response and Kagome rolled her eyes, knowing it was a command for her to follow him. Leisurely, she perused the coat closet, looking for a suitable coat, relishing in how the impatience nearly consumed the hanyou that glared at her from the front door.

Finally settling on one, she hurriedly grabbed her bag and locked the door behind her, only to freeze when she saw the ostentatious hunk of metal parked in her driveway.

"Seriously?" she deadpanned.

Inuyasha smirked at her, a hint of a fang poking out at her. "Beautiful, isn't she?"

"Boys and their cars," Kagome mumbled. She climbed into her own car and followed Inuyasha's car as they backed out and onto the streets. Kagome found herself blushing every time she ventured a look directly into the car in front of her and managed to always see the same pair of golden eyes staring back at her in the rearview mirror.

"Stupid. Doesn't he ever watch the road?" With a scoff, she continued grumbling, in a poor imitation, "I'm a hanyou, 'Gome. We're better than whiny, weak humans and we can do _anything_."

Kagome parked in the spot next to Inuyasha's and was in the midst of grabbing her bag and opening her door before she looked up and jumped back against her seat. Inuyasha stood over the half open doorway, his hand gripping the car door, glaring at her through narrow, ocher-colored slits.

"We also happen to have excellent hearing."

With a sneer, Kagome brushed past him and locked the car before leaving him in the parking lot to stare at her while she marched into the coffeehouse with purpose. Unable to help himself, Inuyasha shook his head slightly while a semi goofy grin revealed itself before hiding once more. Locking his own car, he casually put his hands in his pockets, following the raven-haired women into what he was sure to be another interesting conversation.

Inuyasha was surprised when he finally walked through the glass doors of the intimate coffeehouse and _didn't_ find her waiting for him there. He felt the familiar sensation of an eyebrow ticking in annoyance. He huffed over to the hostess' podium and she smiled sheepishly at him.

"She's sitting right over there, sir."

Nodding brusquely, Inuyasha marched to the table where Kagome sat, paying him no attention as her thumbs moved across the screen of her phone, sipping from the steaming cup of coffee already in her hands. Acting as if she didn't notice the annoyed hanyou towering over her, her face rose to meet his with a genuine look of shock etched on it.

"Inuyasha?" She blinked quickly and smiled sweetly. "What in the world are you doing here?"

Rolling his golden eyes at her, Inuyasha sighed and gracelessly plopped into the seat opposite hers. "You're really taking this whole 'starting over' thing seriously, huh?"

Not responding, Kagome's lips slightly curved as she brought the cup back to her lips, her eyes smiling. "After everything that's happened, Inuyasha, I'd really like a fresh start. I'd think that you'd want that, too." She raised her eyebrows at him pointedly. "After all, you _are_ the one who barged into my home yesterday."

With a deep breath, Kagome offered another smile. "Hi, I'm Kagome." She reached her hand across the table expectantly.

Throwing her a weary look, Inuyasha humored her and shook her hand. "I'm Inuyasha."

"Nice to meet you."

Smirking back at her, Inuyasha chuckled, "You know as well as I do that you didn't think that when we met."

Widening her eyes, Kagome reached over and slapped his arm. "Excuse me! We're meeting right now." Playfully darting her eyes around to search for any eavesdroppers, she leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, "For your information, my opinion of you quickly changed."

"How could I forget?"


	4. Chapter 4

_Last Time…_

_"After everything that's happened, Inuyasha, I'd really like a fresh start. I'd think that you'd want that, too." She raised her eyebrows at him pointedly. "After all, you_ are _the one who barged into my home yesterday."_

_With a deep breath, Kagome offered another smile. "Hi, I'm Kagome." She reached her hand across the table expectantly._

_Throwing her a weary look, Inuyasha humored her and shook her hand. "I'm Inuyasha."_

_"Nice to meet you."_

_Smirking back at her, Inuyasha chuckled, "You know as well as I do that you didn't think that when we met."_

_Widening her eyes, Kagome reached over and slapped his arm. "Excuse me! We're meeting right now." Playfully darting her eyes around to search for any eavesdroppers, she leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, "For your information, my opinion of you quickly changed."_

_"How could I forget?"_

* * *

_Nine years ago…_

_Kagome groaned while she rested her chin on the wooden picnic table. Her honey eyes roamed the scene before her with boredom. She hated these functions— business deal after business deal, Kagome was forced to come along and help paint the picture of the happy family for her parents. It was always about getting new clients, keeping old ones, and making sure that any other firm that was a threat was conquered._

_Kagome sighed again. She loved her parents. Really. But just once, she wanted to spend the weekend away from them to hang out with Sango. But no. She had to come to a stupid picnic celebrating the merger between two companies. And wear a ridiculously girly dress in order to do so. If she_ had _to come to these things, why couldn't she wear what she wanted?_

" _Appearances, Kagome, appearances. When you get to my age and have a job, you'll realize how judgmental people could be and how everything has to be spotless," Kagome mocked under her breath. Lifting her head, she watched her mother laugh at a joke that Kagome was sure wasn't funny and watched her father nod enthusiastically in agreement._

" _Gag."_

_Frowning, Kagome rose from the bench and wandered away from the picnic area towards a denser area of the woods. She relished the feeling of the sun on her face. Her mother sometimes scolded her for doing this. She kept telling Kagome how her complexion would be "marred" by freckles. Absentmindedly, Kagome lifted a finger to her face, feeling the soft skin of her cheeks that she knew was dotted by freckles. It was her mother's hope that the marks would fade by the time Kagome grew into adulthood._

_Scoffing, Kagome turned around and made her way back to the party. She knew that this business merger was different from the other ones. Apparently, the acquisition of this law firm wouldn't bolster the power of her family's. It was too small. The head of the firm was a struggling single mother who barely had anything to her name, or her son's. Actually, according to the gossip, her son was the bastard child of a well-known, incredibly powerful businessman who recently died. His current wife denied his mistress and son their inheritance through some shady maneuvering on the part of her lawyers. Even the woman, Izayoi, couldn't fight them._

_Her parents took pity on Izayoi and offered a merger between her firm and theirs and the rest was… well not history. It was happening right now, as a matter of fact._

_Absorbed in her thoughts, Kagome didn't notice where she was walking and she stumbled over what she thought was a tree root. Catching herself, she gasped and held her hands out in front of her in preparation for the impact that, thankfully, never came._

" _Keh! Watch where you're going!"_

 _Her face instantly twisting into a scowl, Kagome turned around and saw that the 'tree root' was actually the leg of a boy. "'Keh'? Whatever. Why don't_ you _actually sit at a table like a normal person?"_

_The boy smiled smugly at her. "You should really fix your dress. I saw your granny panties."_

_Blushing a furious shade of scarlet, Kagome hurriedly smoothed her dress down and enviously glared at his casual outfit of a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. "What are you even doing here? This is a company picnic. I'm pretty sure that scum like you aren't invited."_

_Kagome's eyebrows knit together when she noticed the smug look on the boy's face. "Oh, didn't you hear? My mom and I are the guests of honor." His mouth curved into an arrogant smirk and Kagome saw a gleam from the corner of his mouth. Her eyes widened and she noticed the fang peeking out. She also began to take notice of the boy's silver hair, amber eyes, and most importantly, the triangular shaped ears on the top of his head._

" _You're a hanyou." It was a statement, not a question._

_Narrowing his eyes at her, Kagome saw that he obviously bristled at the observation. "What the fuck is it to you?"_

_Kagome felt as if she had been slapped. No one ever talked to her like that. So she did what came to her naturally. She walked up to him, reared her arm back, and slapped him across the face in return. "You asshole!" She then made to stomp away but she squeaked when she felt a hand grip her wrist and pull her back. "Let me go!"_

"No fucking way _! You just_ slapped _me!"_

" _Inuyasha," a stern voice scolded._

_Kagome was surprised that the boy instantly released his hold on her and she looked up at him peculiarly. "Inuyasha…" she murmured, liking the sound of his name as she spoke it._

" _Kagome, I hope you're not antagonizing our guests and new friends."_

_Making a face, Kagome avoided turning around to see the look on her mother's face. Inuyasha caught the expression and smirked at her again. Gritting her teeth, Kagome discreetly stomped on his foot, forcing him to yelp in pain, which she enjoyed quite a lot. Then, she turned around to face her mother and found herself staring at the woman next to her mother._

_She was one of the most beautiful woman she had ever seen, Kagome was sure of that. Like her mother, this woman was petite, but she had long, black hair the color of a midnight sky with kind, wide eyes that were the color of violets._

_Knowing her to be her parents' new business partner, Kagome offered a deep bow and greeted, "Nice to meet you, Takado-san. I'm glad to welcome you into the family my parents have created with their firm."_

_Offering her a gracious smile in return, Izayoi replied, "Thank you, Kagome. I feel very grateful that your parents were gracious enough to take my son and me in."_

" _Yes, Kagome. That reminds me, Inuyasha will be transferring to your school, soon. He'll be attending on scholarship. Maybe he'll be able to help you with your math," her mother added pointedly._

_Kagome flushed and she didn't need to look at Inuyasha to know that he was grinning mercilessly at her back, enjoying the mortification she was being put through. Instead, she put on one of the stiffest smiles, and lied through her teeth. "I'd be so… grateful." Against her better judgment, she stole a look at Inuyasha._

_She should've known. The bastard was grinning at her as if he had a new plaything. Like he was_ that _kid who liked to take the head off of dolls. Kagome shivered in disgust but retaliated by sticking her tongue out at him. Very maturely, Inuyasha followed suit._

_Izayoi and Satori exchanged similar looks. Satori, obviously not pleased, cleared her throat. "Kagome, I know that you wanted to hang out with your friends today. Your father and I decided that you can go—"_

_Kagome threw her arms around her mother and squealed with glee. "Thank you so much, Mama!" She pulled away and bowed at Izayoi respectfully. "It was very nice meeting you, Takado-san." With a glance at Inuyasha, she coldly gave him a curt nod before making her way towards the car, where the family's driver would finally,_ finally _take her away._

" _Kagome. I'm not done."_

_Her shoulders slumped and Kagome waited for the condition she knew was coming._

" _You can go if you take Inuyasha with you. Seeing as how he'll be your classmate soon, I think it would be a good idea for you to introduce him to your friends."_

_Kagome's jaw dropped and her eyes widened in disbelief. Sensing the outburst about to explode from her daughter, Satori held a hand up. "It's either that or you're staying here."_

_Looking helplessly at her mother, feeling ridiculously betrayed, Kagome's face fell and she walked towards an empty picnic table. Defeated, she answered, "I'll stay. I just remembered that everyone else had plans."_

_Kagome's hope for wallowing in self-pity crumbled when she felt another weight settle on the opposite side of the table and she gingerly lifted her head to glare at the silver-haired hanyou stare at her with a calculating look in his eyes. He was squinting at her, as if she were some sort of math problem he couldn't solve. Damn right._

" _Do you have something to say?" she snapped._

" _Nope." Inuyasha's smirk grew more pronounced when Kagome stared at him with disgust. "But since we're going to be such close friends, I thought that maybe we should get to know each other."_

_With a harsh bark of a laugh, Kagome retorted, "You thought wrong."_

_She shoved herself away from the table and stormed off, heading towards the direction of the woods once more. Inuyasha shrugged and turned around, leaning against the table while he stared into the sea of mingling upper-class society. Feeling a light tap on his shoulder, Inuyasha looked up at his mother, who stared at him with disapproval written all over her face. He crossed his arms and pouted._

" _What now?"_

" _Inuyasha, I know that Kagome is a very nice girl. And I know how you act sometimes in certain situations." Pointedly looking in the direction Kagome took off, she continued, "We're making a new life for ourselves. Let's try and have a fresh start with everyone. Please."_

" _Keh!"_

_Izayoi nodded and returned to talking with her new business associates and when Inuyasha was sure that she wasn't looking, he walked back into the dense trees, following Kagome's scent, easy to discern from the smell of the dirt and trees. He finally found her walking along the creek, atop old stone steps that didn't look reliable. It also didn't help that with the slightest step out of balance, Kagome could either tip off of the steps into the creek or tumble down the steep hill. Inuyasha sighed and jogged towards her, a bad feeling creeping up on him._

_Just as he was within hearing distance of her and he was going to call out her name, his eyes saw it. They saw everything at once. Kagome became distracted, staring at the creek below her. She took her next step. Her foot became tangled in the hem of her dress. She fell forward and started to roll down the hill, a rocky outcrop waiting for her at the bottom._

" _Shit!"_

_Using his speed, Inuyasha was able to get to Kagome in time, not enough time to grab her and stop her fall, but in enough time that he could grab her arm and pull him towards her. As he wrapped his arms around her, he tucked her head under his chin and the momentum of her fall finally overtook the both of them. He landed on his back and they began rolling. Keeping his hold on Kagome, Inuyasha grunted as they slid and bounced down the rough hill before he managed to resist gravity long enough to claw at the dirt, slowing them down just before they rolled into the dangerous rocks at the bottom._

_Managing to have stopped with his back to the ground, he was able to make sure Kagome was okay, for the most part. He couldn't completely stop her from hitting the ground while they rolled down. His hands gently rubbed her back while he craned his neck up to look at the dark-haired girl cradled in his chest. He took notice of the various spots of mud and dirt caked onto the back of her dress and the tangled mess of her inky hair, but he couldn't see her face. Hesitantly, he touched a hand to her face and he was relieved to see her respond to the touch when she gingerly lifted her head._

" _Are you okay?" she asked worriedly._

 _Inuyasha almost laughed. "_ Me? _I should be asking if_ you're _alright. Keh. Weird girl…" He looked over her face. Besides from a small scrape on her cheek, she seemed to be fine. "How bad does that hurt?"_

_She shook her head. "It's nothing. It's my wrist; I think it might be sprained."_

_The two of them looked between them and took notice of the swelling on her left wrist and how she delicately supported it._

_Carefully, taking her arm into his hand, Inuyasha cursed when he saw it. Slowly, he lifted himself into a sitting position and rearranged his hold on Kagome so that he carried her while he stood up and began walking back up the hill. Kagome blushed and looked away from him._

" _This isn't necessary. I can walk."_

" _Yeah, but this is faster." Proving his point, Inuyasha quickly began leaping back through the woods and to the picnic site._

" _Inuyasha?"_

_He was startled to hear his name coming from her mouth. He gulped and nodded in reply._

" _I'm sorry for being rude. I'm really grateful for what you just did."_

_Looking down at her face, Inuyasha saw that she was still slightly pink in the face and he couldn't suppress a small smile._

* * *

Kagome and Inuyasha smiled together, fondly remembering how they met. Kagome laughed to herself. "My first broken bone," she sighed wistfully. "Could have been a lot worse if it wasn't for you."

"Yeah. You have a lot to be thankful for."

Kagome shook her head and bit her lip to fight the smile on her face. "You know, I think I might have fallen in love with you the moment I looked up and realized what you had done to save me." Seeing the look of incredulity on Inuyasha's face, she laughed and continued, "No, really! Call me an idiot all you want, but when I was younger, I was very much a sucker for finding a prince to save a damsel in distress." With another sip of coffee, she added, "Thank goodness I grew out of that."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "Sure you did," he managed to rejoin coolly. His tone of voice didn't betray the breathlessness that overcame him and the feeling in his chest when he heard Kagome talk of how she loved him. Absorbed by the sudden yearning he felt, he nearly missed her next comment.

"Ugh. What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"You married a cop, Kagome."

"Detective," she corrected.

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha blew her off. "Keh! Labels. You still found your very own Prince Charming, didn't you?"

Flippantly, Kagome waved the thought away. "Fine. Moving on. What have you been doing in the past five years, Inuyasha?"

"Do you remember my major at university?"

A smile carving into her face, Kagome shook her head. "Of course. Undeclared."

Inuyasha's eyebrows came together in confusion. "Oh yeah…" He offered her a mysterious smile and he reclined in the seat, leisurely taking a gulp of coffee, relishing the warmth of the liquid as it slid down his throat. "Well you wanted to know what I've been doing in America." Smirking at her, he revealed, "I'm a cop."

"Detective," Kagome automatically replied. Then, after finally hearing what he said, she raised her eyebrows at smiled at him disbelievingly. "You're joking."

Her eyes widened and Kagome scoffed when Inuyasha offered a smirk in reply. "No way." Kagome then narrowed her eyes at him and challenged him, "Then why did you buy this café?"

"For sting operations," he answered matter-of-factly. Calmly, he took another gulp of coffee and looked back at her unrelentingly.

She still didn't believe him.

Rolling his eyes, he amended, "Okay. It's just business. Investing in some real estate for some extra money. Some of us weren't exactly born with the ability to live in a fancy house and go to a fancy school. As much as I enjoy my job, it doesn't exactly pay for luxury. I needed money." He gestured to the full café, lightly humming with the quiet conversations of its inhabitants. "And from the looks of it, it looks like this was a good investment."

"If that's all there is to it…" Kagome commented warily. She watched him over the rim of her mug and she shook her head. "You're really a cop?"

"Detective," Inuyasha teased.

Now rolling her eyes at him, Kagome deadpanned, "Spare me."

"That's not fair. Kouga gets to be a detective and I'm just a cop?"

Shrugging nonchalantly, Kagome smiled at him innocently. "Well I don't know just how honest you're being, Inuyasha." Kagome got that uneasy feeling in her stomach when Inuyasha offered her a cocky grin.

Mimicking her sugary tone, Inuyasha offered, "Why don't you just call Kouga at work and ask if there are any new transfers? I'm sure that would be easy enough for him to find out."

Frowning at him, Kagome bitterly acknowledged how infuriating it was to be talked to in that manner. But then again, that was the exact reason she used it when she spoke to him, wasn't it? Sighing, she ducked her head and spoke in a quiet voice, "Do you think that this is ever going to work out?"

Raising his eyebrows at her, Inuyasha crossed his arms and asked, "Do I think _what_ is ever going to work out?"

Lifting her head, she shook her head, looking up as if she wasn't sure either and sought the answer from the heavens. Shutting her eyes tightly, she shrugged and shook her head. "I don't know… _this_! You. Me. Together without being together. Inuyasha, we haven't really functioned like that before. As soon as we met each other…" Kagome visibly struggled to find the words that could convey her confusion and internal conflict at this convoluted attempt to be Inuyasha's _friend_. As if that were possible. "We were never really friends. We just fell into other's laps… as a couple."

Shyly, she looked up at him and saw him staring back with a familiar tenderness in his eyes. For the quickest of moments, Inuyasha's hand inched towards hers on the table and brushed her fingers softly and Kagome couldn't help but enjoy the gentle motion and frown when his hand drew back.

"I disagree. And even if that's true, there's a first time for everything, Kagome."

A small smile lifting her lips, she looked up at him and murmured, "Well if you say so…" Her heart traitorously warmed to the smile he returned and she felt comfortable, uneasily comfortable. There were too many moments like this in her memories. Too many easy smiles between them. Too many unspoken words. Too many touches.

Too much love.

And of course, too much hurt.

Flinching, Kagome leaned back against her chair. Noticing that it was just around Kouga's lunch break, she offered, "Would you like to have lunch?"

Taken aback, Inuyasha's golden eyes widened substantially before they narrowed in suspicion. "What's the catch?"

Kagome was already rising from her seat, placing a bill on the table for her drink, and putting on her coat. "There's no catch, Inuyasha. I just think that we could have a nice, friendly lunch and do what you said: catch up. I'm sure that Kouga wouldn't mind hearing about you've been doing for the past five years—"

"Hold on."

Inuyasha grabbed her arm as it was going through her coat's sleeve and he pulled her back down to her seat. "You want me to have lunch with you and your husband?"

Making a face, she snapped, "Why do you have to make it sound like that? In case you forgot, I invited you to stay over for dinner last time, but you insisted on leaving."

"Because you didn't mean it."

"That's ridiculous, Inuyasha. Why—"

"Don't lie to me, Kagome."

"Look, Inuyasha, I'm genuinely inviting you to lunch with my husband and me." Inclining her head, she added, "Unless, of course, that interferes with your plans of enticing me and seducing me. Or maybe you're lying about being transferred to Tokyo and you don't want me to find out by asking Kouga."

"I'm not lying about that and— what the fuck? How am I supposed to _entice_ you Kagome?" Inuyasha looked at her incredulously.

Laughing, Kagome stood up again and waited for him. "It's a joke. Although your reaction makes me think otherwise…" She rolled her eyes. "Now will you please stop stalling?" she huffed. "You and Kouga were really close in high school. I'm sure he'd be glad to see you," she included softly. At Inuyasha's lack of a response, Kagome pouted in disappointment. "If you change your mind, you know where the station is. That is, if you're telling the truth."

Inuyasha watched her walk out, feeling the challenge in her last comment. Grumbling, he threw on his jacket and marched after her. He nodded briskly at the employees greeting him and made it through the doors just in time to see Kagome pull out of her spot and disappear out of the parking lot into traffic. Inuyasha continued his grumbles while he slammed the door of his car and sped off, towards the precinct. "Can't believe she thinks I'm lying… what, she doesn't think I have what it takes?"

He scowled at Kagome while he pulled the car into the lot, noticing her smile at him as she leaned casually on her car, as if she won something. _'Well she did…'_ he conceded bitterly. _'I get to have lunch with the both of them.'_

Stalking towards her, he yelled, "So where's Kouga?"

"Right here, mutt."

Inuyasha watched as Kouga cheerfully walked towards them. Inuyasha fought the urge to flinch when he saw Kouga kiss Kagome on the top of her head endearingly. It was more than the urge to just flinch, actually. He was also fighting the urge to gag and dry heave. So he stomached the uneasiness and smirked at Kouga. "Hey, wolf breath."

Making a face, Kouga teased, "Is that the best you can come up with, you albino runt?"

Chuckling weakly, Inuyasha replied, "I'm out of practice. It's been a while." He glanced at Kagome, who didn't betray whether she felt conflicted at being with both her ex-boyfriend and husband. "Been a while since high school," he mentioned offhandedly.

Kouga extended his arm and shook Inuyasha's hand. "Glad that you've moved back to Tokyo. Kagome also called while she drove over for lunch. She said that you're transferring to this precinct?" He grinned easily at him, as if this wasn't the most awkward situation of either one of their lives.

"Yeah, I start tomorrow. I got back to Tokyo last week, but they let me have a week to get situated— find a place to stay, meet with the chief, check up on my mom."

"How is she?"

Inuyasha looked down at Kagome, surprised to hear the affection in her tone. He nearly forgot. When they were younger, still teenagers in high school, Kagome had to deal with the fact that her mom was diagnosed with cancer and then was hit with a huge blow from fate when Satori passed away. During that time when grief nearly consumed her, Inuyasha's mother, Izayoi, did everything she could to help Kagome. Eventually, she had come to see Kagome as a surrogate daughter. It was an affection that was sincerely reciprocated by Kagome.

"She's doing great. Enjoying retirement— all she does is take care of that damn garden."

Smiling tenderly, Kagome asked, "If you don't mind, could you ask if she'd like to have lunch with me sometime this weekend?"

Inuyasha's expression softened and he nodded earnestly. “Of course.”

Kouga added, "Well why doesn't everyone join in? We can call up everyone and have a big feast to celebrate being back together again. Well actually, there's a lot to celebrate."

"Like?" Kagome asked, somewhat nervously.

"You know that I've been working a lot lately because of the fact that my caseload keeps increasing. When you told me about Inuyasha, I talked to the chief." Kouga nodded at Inuyasha, "Hey I hope you don't mind, but once I heard you were transferring, I thought that maybe you wouldn't mind if I asked the chief if we could be partners."

Kouga didn't notice how Kagome stiffened and looked between him and Inuyasha, who looked equally shocked for a split second before remaining his composure. "Partners?"

"Yeah, partners! The two of us, just like back in high school."

Sarcastically, Inuyasha muttered, "Great. Now I have to spend all day with this bastard."

Inuyasha and Kouga laughed raucously as they kept throwing insults at each other, but Inuyasha worried. How could he work with, risk his life for, and count on someone who was the only obstacle between him and Kagome?


	5. Chapter 5

_Last Time…_

_"You know that I've been working a lot lately because of the fact that my caseload keeps increasing. When you told me about Inuyasha, I talked to the chief." Kouga nodded at Inuyasha, "Hey I hope you don't mind, but once I heard you were transferring, I thought that maybe you wouldn't mind if I asked the chief if we could be partners."_

_Kouga didn't notice how Kagome stiffened and looked between him and Inuyasha, who looked equally shocked for a split second before remaining his composure. "Partners?"_

_"Yeah, partners! The two of us, just like back in high school."_

_Sarcastically, Inuyasha muttered, "Great. Now I have to spend all day with this bastard."_

_Inuyasha and Kouga laughed raucously as they kept throwing insults at each other, but Inuyasha worried. How could he work with, risk his life for, and count on someone who was the only obstacle between him and Kagome?_

* * *

Inuyasha fought the urge to slam his head onto his desk out of pure aggravation. He and Kouga were in the midst of trying to take down a huge ring of arms smugglers in the area. More black market weapons meant more firefights. More firefights meant more shots fired. More shots fired meant more spilling into the streets. More spilling into the streets increase the chance of unnecessary civilian deaths.

In the past month since he'd moved back to Tokyo, Inuyasha had already noticed a subtle change in the area. It wasn't exactly bedlam. In fact, it was still the relatively safe neighborhood he had known through his high school years. But that was in the area he had known from his adolescence. In the outer rings of Tokyo, it seemed as if all the violence and crime were slowly worming their way in, gnawing at the edges of town, poised to take over.

Inuyasha would have to be fucking dead to let that happen.

To make matters worse, it wasn't big news that the force was becoming more and more corrupt. Even some of the higher ups were questionable. Inspectors like Kouga and himself weren't exactly a dime a dozen. If there was anything he liked about his job, aside from the obvious satisfaction that he was doing the right thing— according to whatever moral compass he possessed— it was that he had Kouga for a partner. As much as they might argue, Inuyasha knew it was just talk and that Kouga really was a good man. They had fallen back into the easy camaraderie they established back in high school. The two of them, along with Miroku, were like brothers back then. The two of them were the only ones who hadn't shunned Inuyasha for being hanyou or poor, both being rare and unwanted qualities in the student population of the private academy they attended.

With an exasperated sigh, Inuyasha reluctantly threw the heavy envelope down. The file thudded onto his cluttered desk and mocked him in its size. And the fact that it contained the details of a _still_ open case.

Inuyasha fought the urge to stand up and yell at everyone in the station, his head pounding from hearing their incessant conversations about everything _other_ than actual work. He rubbed the bridge of his nose as he tried to keep the headache at bay, even though he knew it would come anyway. Leaning back into his stiff chair, Inuyasha made eye contact with Kouga, who sat across from him. Kouga shared the same look of weariness and nodded in silent agreement that they weren't going to get any work done, not in this station.

Kouga looked down at his watch and cursed. Inuyasha's ear involuntarily twitched and he felt his curiosity get the better of him.

"What's up, Kouga?"

The wolf demon was already in the middle of packing up his desk, closing down his computer, and grabbing his things. "I didn't see how late it was… shit. Kagome's probably waiting with dinner. That's going to be the third time this week. I'm surprised she hasn't torn me a new one already."

Eyebrows raised, Inuyasha asked dryly, "Really?" The two locked eyes and Inuyasha smirked at Kouga.

"Well actually… I guess not. Just because Kagome has the patience of a saint sometimes doesn't mean I should test it out three times a week."

"Keh! 'Patience of a saint'?! Since when? When it comes to my memories with Kagome, it takes a fucking hour for my ears to stop ringing from the sound of her shrieking at me."

Kouga laughed heartily. "Well maybe if you weren't so much of an asshole, she wouldn't have had to yell at you. I remember those arguments. My ears kept ringing, too. Why do you think I had to go to a separate university from the two of you?"

Inuyasha's expression turned stony. "Fuck off," he mumbled, picking up the file again.

At Inuyasha's sour expression, Kouga let out another boisterous laugh. "Come on, man. It's late. Why don't you come over and have dinner with us?"

Inuyasha's heart dropped. "No, it's okay. Go home. I'll be having the fine cuisine of that fast food place around the corner in about half an hour." He waved the large file at Kouga. "In case you haven't noticed, some of us are actually working."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever dogface."

"Same to you, wolf boy."

"Bastard."

"Bitch."

"I'm no female mutt."

"Keh! I'd beg to differ."

Kouga put his things down on his desk and looked at Inuyasha, a serious expression coloring his face.

"Really, Inuyasha, have dinner with us. This case isn't going to be solved tonight. We might as well relax for a little bit instead of kill ourselves over it." Once more, he began picking up his things. "We've already got gangs, crime lord syndicates, and corrupt officials looking to take us down. I don't think we need to help them along by depriving ourselves of food and sleep."

"I already told you to go the fuck home, didn't I? Don't worry so much about me, Kouga. I might be a hanyou but the demon blood that's in me… well it's in a class of its own."

Shaking his head at Inuyasha, Kouga gave him a two-fingered salute before walking out of the station without another word. Inuyasha scowled and stared back down at the file in his hands again. As he did so, he heard his stomach rumble in hunger, protesting against the long night of work Inuyasha had planned. He shoved the file into a drawer and locked it with his keys, shutting down his computer and following Kouga's previous actions. He grumbled as he exited the station and made his way to his car, determined to just go to the nearest take-out place, scarf down some ramen, and get back to the precinct and continue with his all-nighter like he planned.

He stopped short when he saw Kouga smirking at him as he leaned against his car. Inuyasha crossed his arm and felt his lips curl into a sneer.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing on top of my baby?!"

With a haughty scoff, Kouga brushed off Inuyasha's anger and replied, "I'm pretty sure that your baby's enjoying my ass more than it ever enjoyed yours."

"Get off of her."

Kouga held his hands up in mock surrender, stepping away from the car as Inuyasha opened the door and was about to sit in the driver's seat. "So you changed your mind?"

"Yeah. I'm going to head over to that place a couple blocks away—"

"And get ramen. I knew that much," Kouga grumbled to himself. He muttered, "You proud bastard." Rolling his arctic eyes at Inuyasha, Kouga held his hands out towards Inuyasha, trying once more to convince him. "Just come over to my place and have a real dinner, would you? It would mean a lot to Kagome."

Inuyasha's heart jumped up to his throat and he let out a small cough. He hadn't seen her since the day they found out he and Kouga were assigned to be partners. It wasn't that he was avoiding her… exactly. But Kouga wasn't kidding when he said that their caseload was ridiculous. The past month was full of monotony, the same routine— wake up, go to work, fall asleep at work, trudge home late at night, only to do it all over again the next morning. And Kagome... well Kouga told him enough to know that she was swamped at work, too. But she had managed to meet with his mother like she had wanted to. Inuyasha had to hear from his own mother how Kagome was. _That_ was a great conversation.

Suppressing a groan, Inuyasha grunted roughly and muttered, "Fine."

Kouga's arctic eyes widened in genuine shock mixed with an expression of being pleased with himself. "You will?"

"You're going to take it back or something?" Inuyasha snapped. "Just a second ago you were practically begging me!"

Scowling at him, Kouga countered, "I'm just surprised that you agreed so quickly." He rubbed the back of his neck and nodded at his car. "Just follow me, I guess."

Inuyasha stared at him dumbfounded until he realized that Kouga didn't know that Inuyasha had already been to his home twice. He also realized that it meant that Kagome didn't tell Kouga about those two times, either. To be honest, Inuyasha didn't know exactly how he felt about that fact. Most of him felt that they were inconsequential visits to Kagome and so she hadn't mentioned his visits to Kouga. A small part was allowed to hope that maybe, just maybe, Kagome didn't tell Kouga because she was unsure about how she felt. That she might still have feelings for him.

A pair of bright lights flashed in his rearview mirror and Inuyasha looked out of his window and behind him, where Kouga pulled up, his passenger's side window rolled down.

"Ready?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at him and grunted noncommittally before shifting the car into gear and pulled out of the parking lot, following Kouga on what was an already familiar path. To Kagome. He felt as if he weren't really watching the road. He couldn't see it, at least. His mind was muddling through the repercussions of the arrangement he seemed to have gotten himself into. Direct and constant contact with the Kayasaki family.

Technically, Kagome was still a Higurashi. Her family name was well known, rich, and powerful. Her father hadn't even allowed her to legally take Kouga's last name. She would forever be known as Kagome Higurashi.

The thought mollified Inuyasha, comforted him even just a little bit.

No matter what happened, she would always be Kagome Higurashi. No matter what.

Speaking of which… Kagome's father.

Inuyasha was sure that the man once had his children's best interests at heart, but at the same time, the man was more than deserving of the title of 'Dickhead'. From the brief interactions he had with him, that's certainly the impression Inuyasha garnered from the man. Sadao Higurashi was appropriately named— a decisive man indeed. Satori was always his better half. She was kind, gentle, and sweet to their children, albeit overly obedient to her husband. Sadao could be overbearing and harsh. Of course, he was much softer until Satori's death. Then, Inuyasha's secret nickname was born.

It didn't help that Sadao was truly a businessman at heart. Sure, he may have been a lawyer, but he was the head of a firm that he created. He had a legal empire. And he wanted a son and his firstborn _was_ a son. Inuyasha didn't know the whole story and whatever he had gotten out of Kagome came out in terse, clipped phrases and descriptions. Inuyasha knew his face from a singular photo on top of the mantel in the den in the Higurashi estate. From what he knew, Sadao and Satori's first child was a brilliant boy that Sadao adored and was grooming to follow in his footsteps. It wasn't that he didn't love his other children, but this boy was most certainly his favorite. Then tragically, when he was a teenager and Kagome was still a young girl, he was killed in an accident. One that Sadao had inexplicably blamed Kagome for. Souta was a little more than a toddler then. He was Sadao's last hope for an heir.

But Souta could never match up to the firstborn, named after Sadao. It was morbidly fitting that when the younger Sadao died, a piece of the elder died as well. The piece that held compassion for his other kids, it seemed. Even when Kagome had gotten into a top university as a pre-law major, graduating at the top of her class and gaining acceptance into one of the best law schools in Japan, it still wasn't enough for Sadao Higurashi.

Inuyasha was left wondering whether Kagome worked at a law firm separate from her family's firm in order to prove that she was good enough, because she couldn't bear to work with her father, or because her father couldn't bear to work with her.

Inuyasha surprised himself when he realized that his body seemed to be acting on autopilot as he parked in Kouga and Kagome's driveway, his hand in the middle of turning off the engine. He took a deep breath and shook his head, scoffing at himself while he ran a clawed hand through his thick mane of silver. He exited the car and caught up with Kouga as they walked up the gravel and up the front steps to the front door.

Kouga twisted the doorknob and made to push but knit his eyebrows together when he noticed that the door was locked. He sighed. "I forgot. She's been locking the front door lately."

"Keh! Like she hasn't before?"

"No, not really," Kouga answered absentmindedly while searching his pockets for his keys. "Usually if she knew I was working really late or was going to be out of town, then she'd lock it. But on a normal day, she wouldn't. Recently, she's been locking the door though. I wonder if maybe she's gotten some threats at work, maybe a high profile case or something. I'll have to talk to her about that… Fuck! Where the fuck did I put my keys?"

"Hey shitface, maybe the smart thing to do would be to just call your goddamn wife and let her know we're standing like two fuckheads in the freezing cold. Or better yet, ring the damn doorbell and worry about your stupid keys later!" Inuyasha snapped. He scowled while he thought about how _he_ might be the cause of Kagome locking her doors.

_Inuyasha explained, "You left the door open when you came in to put your briefcase down… You should really lock your door as soon as you enter the house."_

_"Spare me."_

With a glare, Kouga rang the doorbell and grudgingly admitted to himself that the December air was slightly getting to him. He mocked, "What's wrong, Inuyasha? Mutts don't like the cold?"

Narrowing his eyes at him, Inuyasha threatened, "Maybe I should get myself a new coat made out of wolf fur."

Warm air and soft light enveloped the two men as Kagome pulled open the door open. "That's just the kind of conversation I want to hear from my husband and our guest. Who knew I surrounded myself with such polite gentlemen?" Kagome's sarcasm managed to cut through the heated glares between the two men and she pulled the door open even more, stepping to the side. "If it's really that cold, maybe you two should come in and shut up," she scolded.

Kagome closed the door after them and made her way back to the kitchen. "Dinner's ready," she called. "Just let me go down to the cellar and grab some wine." She looked over her shoulder and scrutinized Kouga and Inuyasha with a measured gaze. "Try not to kill each other," she quipped.

Kouga made a face while Inuyasha rolled his eyes again. They shared a look before they wandered into the dining room, the table set with silverware and the center of the table already occupied by the still hot dishes Kagome had prepared, steam swirling up.

"So what do you think about the place?"

About to retort with how the house looks the same as the last two times he had been in it, Inuyasha froze and nearly bit his tongue to stop himself.

He settled for, "It's nice."

With a small smile and shake of his head, Kouga sat down at the head of the table just as Kagome entered, a bottle cradled in her small hands. She put the wine in the chilled bucket before putting her hands on her hips. "Nice of you to start dinner without properly greeting your wife."

A devilish gleam appeared in Kouga's blue eyes and Inuyasha widened his own. "Oi! I'm not about to puke up my dinner before I've eaten it." While it sounded like he said it jokingly and immaturely, Inuyasha meant the sentiment more than he could ever understand. It was one thing to _hear_ about the happy couple but a whole other matter to actually witness it.

"In _that_ case…"

Kouga moved towards Kagome, but she held a hand up. "Okay, first of all, that's rude. Second of all, I wasn't looking for anything like that. Just a simple acknowledgement would have sufficed." She still couldn't stop the blush that appeared on her cheeks.

Upon seeing her blush, Kouga smiled and replied, "Of course not. I was just teasing Inu-kaka here."

"Really? That's the best you could come up with?" Inuyasha drawled.

Giving Kagome a quick peck on the cheek before sitting back down, he shrugged while he helped himself to dinner.

Inuyasha looked away from him and across the table to Kagome, who was staring at him. Once more, she blushed, and looked down at her plate, continuing to move food from the platters onto her plate. She quickly poured herself a glass of wine and took several large gulps.

For the most part, dinner passed by without much incident. Once more, Inuyasha was astounded at the growth of Kagome's culinary skills, though he couldn't restrain himself from snapping when his tongue came into contact with that spicy crap Kagome called food— curry.

Kagome was pleasantly surprised at the banter between Kouga and Inuyasha, mean and vulgar but altogether harmless and the constant in their long friendship. She even found herself laughing at some of the barbed words. There were even times when all three of them would burst into laughter at some long forgotten memory of their youth. As Kagome took another sip from her wine glass, she couldn't help but smile over the glass at Inuyasha who held a smirk on his face over the latest story involving some kind of car chase he and Kouga had gotten themselves into that involved a very wet stain on Kouga's crotch that he swore was his coffee. His smirk grew and she almost snorted into her wine.

Putting down the empty glass, Kagome stood from her chair and started clearing the empty plates. When she reached across the table to take Inuyasha's, he protested.

"No, I'll help you."

"You're the guest," Kagome argued.

"And as the guest, you should respect my wishes to help you, damn it."

Holding a hand up in surrender, Kagome rolled her eyes. "Whatever." Looking back at him, she shook her head and murmured, "Still so stubborn…" Taking her and Kouga's plate and utensils, she disappeared into the kitchen and Inuyasha distinctly heard the _clink_ of the dinnerware hitting the sink.

Kouga chuckled softly. "Well you two haven't changed much." At Inuyasha's expression, Kouga narrowed his eyes and scowled. "Don't give me that look, dogbreath."

He took the empty wine glasses and joined Kagome in the kitchen. Sulking, Inuyasha took his plate and several of the empty serving dishes as he followed Kouga. He placed the empty plates and platters on the counter next to the sink, Kagome acknowledging them with a short nod.

"Do you two think you'll manage to keep from fighting for a couple of minutes?" Kouga asked.

Kagome stopped her motions and turned off the faucet. She looked over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm going to run to that bakery nearby and get some dessert. I'm in the mood for something sweet."

With a light, tinkling laugh, Kagome returned to washing the dishes and joked, "Kouga, you're _always_ in the mood for something sweet."

Kouga's lips lightly brushed over Kagome's neck and he whispered, "That's why I married you, isn't it?" He easily evaded her soapy hand reaching back to swat him away. "Like you said earlier Kagome," his voice mimicked a falsetto as he quipped, "Try not to kill each other."

Kagome looked behind her once more, the corners of her lips quirking upwards as she watched him vanish through the front door. She looked to her side and raised an eyebrow at Inuyasha. "Well you wanted to help. Dive in." She moved over so that while she washed, Inuyasha would have plenty of room to dry and place everything on a drying rack.

"Kouga's been telling me about how the two of you have so much work to do," she mentioned nonchalantly.

"He's been saying the same about you."

"He discusses my cases at work?"

"Not explicitly. He just mentions that you're under a lot of stress right now." He scowled at her. "He may have also mentioned some threats…"

With a click of her tongue, Kagome dismissed the notion. "It's nothing like that. I just have a huge workload right now. No thanks to the two of you."

"Meaning what?" Inuyasha asked, his voice raising and his tone becoming defensive.

Giving him a long suffering sigh, she muttered, "You either take things too seriously or the wrong way." She continued, "With all the work you and Kouga have done, bulldozing through all these new crime syndicates and corrupt government officials, I think _every_ lawyer has been overworked— defense lawyers and prosecutors alike, from every district in the greater part of Tokyo. Hell, I'm a corporate lawyer, but even my firm is involved because your investigations have turned up names from some of the most prominent corporate heads in Japan. Don't get me wrong, I'd never defend those men but that just means that I get the cases that get passed over in favor of the high profile ones." She looked up at him with a small smile on her face. "Which are a lot." Her eyes narrowed playfully. "Are you _trying_ to kill me or something?"

Roughly taking the plate from her hand and drying with more force than necessary, Inuyasha grumbled, "That's not funny."

"Aw, did I hurt your feelings?"

He sniffed and haughtily took the next plate from her. "No."

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

"It's not funny, though. A threat against you, especially one made by a head of a huge crime syndicate isn't something to take lightly, Kagome." His eyes bore into hers and his mind struggled to find the right words to let him say what he wanted without crossing the line. Looking down at the plate in his hands, he murmured, "If anything happened to you…"

Kagome felt the familiar heat of a blush creeping up onto her cheeks and quickly looked down at her soapy hands, watching the suds disappear down the drain before deciding to chance another look at Inuyasha.

They both looked at each other from the corner of their eye and shared a smile before Kagome stiffened and tore her gaze away, focused on scrubbing the plate, even to the point where it seemed her goal was to scrub away the delicate china pattern painted on it. It was too much for her. Sending dulled insults to each other in nothing but their quiet companionship and sharing small, hidden smiles. Kagome was already treading in dangerous territory.

A jolt passed through her and she looked down to see Inuyasha's hand wrapped over her wrist.

"What are you doing?"

Inuyasha's golden eyes widened in confusion before they narrowed into concern. "What am _I_ doing? Kagome, your hands are shaking and you just dropped the plate back into the sink."

"Crap! These were my mother's!" Her eyes looked down in horror before her entire face relaxed when she saw that it hadn't broken. "Oh thank Kami," she whispered. Her hands immediately went over her mouth, despite the fact that the lower portion of Kagome's face was now wet and the taste of dishwasher soap was on her tongue. "If I broke her plates—" Tears began to pool in her eyes and she reached for something to wipe her face with.

A steady hand already held a small towel to her cheek, gently wiping away tears and dishwater, Inuyasha's hands moving familiarly down her cheeks, over the swell of her lips, and back up to softly dab at her eyes. When he pulled back, Kagome's wet eyelashes were the only sign of her emotional upheaval.

Kagome turned her head away. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I didn't mean to start crying in front of you."

Dabbing at her eyes once more, she looked back and saw his face contort, as he seemed to be stressed about something. Before she could ask, she was enveloped by his arms and completely surrounded by his presence.

"Idiot. I only hate it when you cry because I don't want to see you sad." His body began to follow an old but memorable path as his hands moved from stroking her thick hair to rubbing her back and he buried his face in her hair. "I know how much you love your mom. I know how much her stuff means to you."

Kagome's hands slowly crawled out from between the two of them to clutch at his back, nodding into his chest as her grief about her mother was reawakened.

* * *

_Kagome and Inuyasha hurried through the dark, up the steps to Higurashi Shrine, and abruptly stopped as Inuyasha grabbed Kagome from behind, spun her around, and captured her lips with his, holding her tight against him. She squealed in a unique, Kagome-ish mixture of surprise, indignation, and giddiness. Her hands cradled his face as she earnestly responded, her lips moving against his while her body molded itself closer to Inuyasha's._

_She pulled back slightly, a hair's width between their lips, and sighed. "Inuyasha, come on. It's late. I don't want my dad to find out that I snuck out again." Despite her words, her eyes quickly flicked from his gaze down to his lips and Inuyasha found it hard to fight the smirk that crept up on his lips._

_Seeing his smirk, Kagome rolled her eyes and smacked his chest lightly. "Stop that!"_

_The smirk grew more pronounced and Kagome laughed lightly as she tried to fight against Inuyasha's arms pulling her in, closer. He leaned down, his face coming closer, and Kagome couldn't help but let her eyelids close. She could feel his warm breath against her lips before it moved across her cheek, swept against her hair, and settled, fanning against her ear._

" _Are you sure?"_

_Her very intelligent response was "Huh?"_

_She could feel his chest rumble with silent laughter, their bodies were that close. Kagome could hear the smile in his voice as he repeated his question._

" _Are you sure you want me to stop?"_

_Inuyasha's warm breath found itself back on her lips and she had just tilted her face up, slowly lifting herself up onto the tips of her toes. Their lips brushed past each other and she sighed. When they finally pressed together, a bright, disorienting light appeared, one she could see even behind her closed eyes._

_Before she knew it, her feet weren't even on the ground anymore, but Kagome didn't panic. At least not about being on the ground. She felt Inuyasha's strong and capable arm around her waist. There was the familiar rush of air blowing in her hair and on her face. Like many times before, she felt herself settle against Inuyasha as they sat on a tall branch of the tree conveniently positioned near Kagome's bedroom window, hidden from below by the thick foliage._

_Kagome could still make out the silhouette of her father's shadow in the light from the open front door._

_Looking back at Inuyasha, he nodded and she shimmied down the branch towards her window and slipped into her room, managing to silently walk across the hardwood floor, take off her shoes, and slip back into her bed before her bedroom door opened._

_Inuyasha knew that her father wouldn't be able to see him but he couldn't help but instinctually press his back even further into the tree trunk. His gold eyes were trained carefully on Sadao. Kagome's father slowly stepped into the room, hesitating slightly at the threshold, before making his way to Kagome. He could hear the slight hitch in Kagome's otherwise even breathing._

_He cursed under his breath. Inuyasha thought that they had been more careful. The last time Kagome was caught sneaking out with him, Sadao Higurashi had kept her under such a severe lockdown that it had prevented the two teens from seeing each other for nearly a month. Somehow, Satori had managed to convince her husband to let up on Kagome's restriction. And then she had gotten diagnosed and Sadao spent most of his nights at the hospital and didn't come home until it was so late it was considered morning._

_As much as it may seem that Kagome's staying out late to meet with Inuyasha was clandestine or heartless, considering the circumstances under which she received her freedom, most of their nights together was spent with Inuyasha consoling Kagome over Satori's illness and trying to get her to smile again. During the day, after school— or throughout the whole day if it was the weekend— he would take Kagome to the hospital and let her be with her mother. But at night, he did whatever he could to get Kagome's mind off of her stricken mother. If the method of the night happened to be less-than-chaste physical contact, then so be it._

_Sadao sat on the edge of Kagome's bed and Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as he tried to discern the difference he was noticing in the man. Sadao was slumped over, his shoulders hunched, and his hair was tousled. His shirt was wrinkled and disheveled and his head hung down. His hand rested lightly on Kagome's shoulder and shook her awake. Kagome feigned grogginess and disorientation as she sat up slowly and took in the sight of her father._

_Inuyasha's ears easily picked up on their conversation and he was eager to know if they had gotten caught and how long they would have to be separated this time. He already felt the hard rock settling in his stomach at the thought of being separated from Kagome._

" _Dad? What's going on?" Kagome rubbed at her eyes rather convincingly. "Did you just get home?"_

_Letting out a heavy sigh, Sadao nodded. "Kagome, it's your mom… she… she passed away earlier tonight."_

_Inuyasha nearly fell out of the tree. His stomach sank. His throat closed up. His vision began to become blurry with tears. His heart was breaking into a million pieces at the sound of Kagome's cry of disbelief and agony. His claws were embedded into the bark of the tree branch he was sitting on, grounding him and restraining him from running into Kagome's room to wrap her up and squeeze the life out of her, just to hold her for the sake of being as close as possible to her while her whole world fell apart._

_He watched as she clutched onto the front of her father's shirt, her face hiding in it as her back heaved with sobs. Sadao patted her comfortingly and once her violent sobs receded, he helped her lay back down into bed and left her room, shutting the door behind him with a_ click _that was thunderous in the heavy silence of the Higurashi home... the family home that Satori had grown up in and convinced her husband to live in despite their ability to live in a much more ornate home. The home that would no longer feel the same anymore without the presence of Satori Higurashi._

_In an instant, Inuyasha had gone into Kagome's room, slid under the covers of her bed, and let his arms encircle her. Inuyasha pulled her closer to him, her back flush against his chest and the top of her head tucked underneath his chin. Her arms hugged the ones surrounding her and she began to cry silently, the tears pooling below her. He could feel them drip onto his shoulder and he turned Kagome around so that she cried into his chest. Her arms found their way around him, much smaller and not quite reaching all the way around. He kissed the crown of her head and held it in place under his chin while she cried herself to sleep against him._

_The next week flew by in a hurried blur of grief. Mourners sent their condolences in the forms of cards, food, and large bouquets. There were unheard speeches made about Satori in front of people who didn't really matter, in Kagome's opinion. Kagome watched her mother's serene expression become sealed off by wood and buried underneath dirt. At the funeral, she sat unobtrusively, holding Souta as he openly wept. She barely acknowledged her father's hand on her shoulder as he passed by his children while he moved around the gravesite receiving everyone's meaningless words of consolation._

_Her jii-chan, her mother's father, sat solemnly by himself. He came over and took Souta's prone form from her when they finally left. Kagome hesitated as she followed her family— now just her father, grandfather, and brother— to the car. She turned away and broke into a sprint, through the rain, towards the most recent pile of upturned earth in the entire cemetery. She bawled over the marker of her mother's grave, knelt onto the mud and dug her hands into the ground, as if by holding onto the ground that held her mother, Kagome wouldn't have to let go._

_Masculine voices whispered in the background before she felt arms around her shoulders. Thinking it was her father pulling her away, Kagome jerked at the touch. When she noticed that the touch wasn't taking her anywhere, merely supporting her, feeling the same pain she did, she relaxed into the embrace. Kagome leaned back into Inuyasha's arms while they both sat in the mud, their tears mixed with the falling rain while Kagome ached for her mother and Inuyasha felt the pain of Kagome's sadness. He touched his lips into her wet hair, smelling everything. The grass. The ground. The rain. The overwhelming scent of death and decay and grief. Inuyasha sought and found solace in the scent of Kagome, however marred it may be by her pain. It was still her. She was still here. She might have been slightly broken by this, but she was still here._

* * *

Inuyasha took a deep breath, the intake of Kagome's scent soothing him like it had always done.

Like it always did.

A crease formed between his eyebrows as he took another tentative sniff. Still the same. Always Kagome.

' _That can't be right,'_ he thought, perplexed. _'She can't still smell the same. It's not possible if she's mated to Kouga.'_

Inuyasha was so stunned by his sudden revelation he didn't register when Kagome moved away from him.

"Thank you, Inuyasha." She looked down at her feet shyly. "You know that I couldn't have gotten through that without you. I— what?" Kagome looked up at Inuyasha with a quizzical expression. Inuyasha was staring at her with wide eyes.

' _I had never noticed… It had been so long._ So _fucking long since I've seen her. I wasn't taking notice of it. I was so happy to see her again…'_

"Inuyasha?"

"You're not mates."


	6. Chapter 6

_Last Time…_

'That can't be right,' _he thought, perplexed._ 'She can't still smell the same. It's not possible if she's mated to Kouga.'

_Inuyasha was so stunned by his sudden revelation he didn't register when Kagome moved away from him._

" _Thank you, Inuyasha." She looked down at her feet shyly. "You know that I couldn't have gotten through that without you. I— what?" Kagome looked up at Inuyasha with a quizzical expression. Inuyasha was staring at her with wide eyes._

'I had never noticed… It had been so long. So fucking long since I've seen her. I wasn't taking notice of it. I was so happy to see her again…'

" _Inuyasha?"_

" _You're not mates."_

* * *

Kagome raised her eyebrows at him. "Excuse me?" She was bewildered at the sudden change of topic. "Who? Kouga and I? We're married."

"But you're not mates," Inuyasha repeated evenly. "Your scent hasn't changed at all. You have no bite mark."

Kagome insisted, "Sure, but we're still married." Her honey eyes narrowed in a mixture of confusion and distrust.

"Some youkai don't follow stupid human institutions like marriage. Mating is much deeper than that."

"And what kind of youkai would try and interfere with my marriage?" Kagome demanded.

The question hung between them heavily while they stared each other down. Kagome immediately regretted the implications of her words and she lowered her eyes from Inuyasha's gaze. She began to open her mouth to apologize when Inuyasha coldly countered her question.

"Maybe you should really think about how much Kouga wants you if he's not willing to completely mate with you."

Her head recoiling back like she had been slapped in the face, Kagome quickly recovered and retorted, "Well if you want to know, you arrogant dick, he's never brought it up because I asked him not to. And furthermore, I don't need to worry about _his_ fidelity because I _know_ he'd never betray me like that!"

It was Inuyasha's turn to flinch in shock at Kagome's words. All right. He had deserved that. His arms hung limply at his side and he turned his head away from her, his bangs casting a shadow over his face, hiding his expression from Kagome. His hands quickly clenched into fists before they relaxed at his sides again.

Kagome's expression faded from anger to horror at what she had said and she reached out to Inuyasha apologetically but he stepped back.

"No, it's fine. It… That was fair."

Shaking her head, Kagome hugged one arm and mumbled, "No, Inuyasha, that really wasn't. I'm sorry. I just keep bringing that up, don't I?"

He brushed her off with a shrug.

Sighing, Kagome whispered brokenly to herself.

Even with his hearing, Inuyasha couldn't hear her so he looked back and locked eyes with her. Kagome bit her lip and it was her turn to look away this time.

"Why is it that we can't be alone together for more than ten minutes without one of us hurting the other?" she asked sadly.

Kagome looked back when she heard the soft chuckle and saw the corners of Inuyasha's lips quirk upwards into a small smile. "It's part of our charm, I guess." The smile disappeared and he was contrite as he continued, "Look, Kagome, I didn't mean anything by it. I was just trying to look out for you, I promise. It's just that mating… it… most new mates— well it kind of happens rather quickly if you get what I mean."

"I know." Kagome flashed him a small, understanding smile. "And it's not because Kouga doesn't want to. It's because _I_ don't want to. The whole idea of mates and being so completely tied to someone forever, I mean, you're right. It's much deeper than marriage. While I still believe that marriage is for forever, mating… is a whole other ballpark. I don't know if I can handle that kind of commitment." With another sigh, she started to continue her explanation.

Holding up a hand, Inuyasha stopped her. "Hey, it's not my business. You don't have to explain anything to me. As long as everything's all right between the two of you, whatever you guys decide is between you." He went back to drying and putting away the dishes they had been washing while Kagome stared at him dumbstruck.

' _You don't understand, Inuyasha. I think that… if it had been you asking…'_

She allowed her fingers to brush over his a second longer than necessary while she took the dry plates from him and put them back in the cupboard, giving him a small, serene smile. He mirrored the expression and watched her methodically put every piece of silverware back in the correct cupboard, cabinet, or drawer. Kagome began to pull out some forks and mugs. Already knowing where she was going with this, Inuyasha beat her to the coffeemaker and started the machine.

Kagome smiled at him in thanks, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. "The bakery that Kouga went to has a really great crumb cake. I'm sure that's what he got. Coffee would be good with it. And I think you'll need a thermos or two for the all-nighter you're going to pull tonight, right?"

Smirking at her, Inuyasha teased, "What makes you say that?"

"Like I said, all the work you and Kouga have been doing, _no one's_ getting a full night's sleep anymore. I'm sure that there's _some_ case back at the precinct that's bothering you. And you won't stop until you solve it."

"Because I have an astounding work ethic."

Making a face at him, Kagome scoffed. "Because you don't like to lose." Inuyasha glared at her. "But also because you're a good man, Inuyasha. You want to make sure that justice is carried out and you'll work hard to get that." She turned around from where she was fiddling with the coffeepot and mugs and placed a hand on a cocked hip. "Simple as pie."

Glancing at the counter behind her, Inuyasha saw that she had already prepared two thermoses for him. He was about to reply when another voice cut in.

"I think you mean 'cake', Kagome." Kouga strolled in jovially, a small box wrapped in twine in his hands. He put it on the table and untied the string, opening to reveal what smelled and looked like a freshly baked crumb cake.

Inuyasha and Kagome locked eyes behind Kouga and Kagome smirked at him. Inuyasha's lips couldn't resist the upward pull into a lopsided grin and he fought the urge to chuckle. Instead, he clapped Kouga on the back, hard enough for Kouga to stumble forward. Ignoring the icy glare from the wolf youkai, Inuyasha sneered, "Well come on, are you going to eat the goddamn thing or stare at it all night?"

Sensing another argument, Kagome sighed and held a hand to her temple. "Boys, don't even start. It's been a long day." She shook her head as she glanced between Inuyasha and Kouga. She kissed Kouga on the cheek and surprised Inuyasha with a kiss of his own. "I'm tired and I think I'm going to call it a night. Don't make a mess… and don't fight. We just redid the kitchen— don't need blood all over the floors." She threw them a mischievous smile over her shoulder as she walked out of the kitchen and they could hear her footsteps receding upwards towards the master bedroom.

Inuyasha looked back and saw Kouga carefully cutting slivers of the cake and setting aside the slices.

"What do you think you're doing?" Inuyasha folded his arms across his chest. "I hope that's not all for you."

Kouga shrugged. "Just in case. I'm going to leave Kagome some slices in the event that the rest of the cake gets messed up if we fight and it ends up on the floor."

"Keh! Fat chance of that happening— that thing's going in my stomach _now_."

"Hey buddy, this is _my_ house and I get the first slice of cake!"

"Oh yeah?!"

Kagome looked down the stairs and smiled softly, shaking her head while she let the two of them argue, continuing her way towards the bedroom, hoping some sleep would help get her over the turmoil she'd felt for the past month since reconnecting with Inuyasha. She took her time going through her bedtime rituals. She splashed cold water on her face and brushed her teeth leisurely before she climbed into bed, pulling the covers over her.

Sighing deeply, Kagome groaned and threw them away from her after fifteen minutes, as she couldn't fall asleep. She attempted every position possible: on her stomach, on her back, her left side, the other, spread out, curled into a ball. She finally found herself with her head hanging over the edge before she lifted it to glance at the illuminated numbers of the alarm clock on the nightstand. She had been tossing and turning for nearly forty-five minutes. With another groan, she threw her legs over the edge of the bed, fighting the urge to stomp out her frustrations. Barefoot, she made her way back downstairs and into her kitchen, pulling up short when she saw Inuyasha and Kouga acting chummy while eating cake.

The two men stared up at her with mirrored facial expressions akin to something like two little boys who were caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

Shaking off her initial shock, she cut into their conversation, "Well, I hope you two managed to remember to save me some."

Kouga shifted, standing up, out of his chair and walked towards her, his arms already extended for a hug. He widened his eyes in surprise. "I thought you were going to bed."

"Yeah. Me too," she muttered, already making a beeline for the cake she saw was set aside. Although she bypassed his hug, her lips brushed Kouga's absentmindedly, murmuring, "Thanks for saving me some."

She grabbed a plate and took a slice, settling down in the stool next to Kouga's vacant one, reaching across the wooden island for a fork. Kagome began to dig into her cake while Inuyasha and Kouga shared bemused expressions.

"Uh… Kagome? I thought you were going to bed," Kouga repeated.

Busy chewing, she shrugged. With a loud gulp, she explained, "I tried. Can't sleep." She put another forkful of cake into her mouth before continuing. "I'm exhausted, but my mind won't shut off."

Kouga stood behind her and snaked a reassuring arm around Kagome's shoulders, hugging her tightly while Inuyasha ducked his head, staring at his empty plate, his fingers clenching and unclenching around his fork like a pulse. Kagome looked at him worriedly. She felt herself somewhat torn between leaning into her husband's embrace, an action she knew was perfectly acceptable, and pulling away— obviously a sign to Kouga that something was wrong. Which it wasn't. Instead, Kagome stayed stationary.

She rubbed her face in her palm before running the hand through her thick hair. "I'll be fine. I just need to…"

"What you need is time to relax." Kouga took his arm away and leaned onto the island, his weight resting on his folded arms. "Maybe we should get away this weekend. No work, no stress."

"Kouga, you have so much work to do," Kagome countered. "And you can't leave Inuyasha with everything." She looked pointedly at the silver-haired hanyou, whose face held an undeniably uncomfortable expression.

"Don't worry about me, Kagome." Inuyasha abruptly stood up, bringing his plate to the sink before either Kouga or Kagome could stop him. He turned to face the couple, a strange, detached look on his face. "I should probably be heading back to the station right now, actually." He smirked at Kouga and teased, " _Some_ of us are working."

Kouga shook his head and laughed but Kagome still held a look of concern on her face. She didn't quite believe Inuyasha. She knew his smirks. There were different kinds of smirks, only _she_ could tell the difference. And she knew the one he had plastered on his face was fake. Heartbreakingly fake. The two locked eyes and she opened her mouth to speak, but Inuyasha beat her to it.

"Where do you two think you'll be going?"

"I don't want to go anywhere." Kagome ignored Kouga as he began to protest. "I'm not running myself ragged and Inuyasha's right. I have a lot to work to do this weekend." She lifted her hand and gently touched it to Kouga's cheek. "Maybe in a couple of months when everything dies down, okay?" She smiled softly at him and Kouga returned the gesture.

Looking between the two, Kagome rolled her eyes. "Okay, boys. Say your goodbyes. You can play again tomorrow."

Inuyasha and Kouga scowled at each other then at her, bristling of their being treated like two kids on a play date. Kagome responded to the scowls with light laughter. "Kouga, why don't you go on up while I put everything in the sink? I promise I won't clean; I'll worry about it tomorrow morning."

Kouga gave Inuyasha a good-natured punch on the shoulder before moving past him to head upstairs. "I'll see you tomorrow, dog face. Going to be a long day… maybe you should head home, too."

"Keh! Worry about yourself. I can handle it."

Kagome could practically see Kouga roll his eyes as he barked out a loud laugh, the sounds of his footsteps dimming as he continued his way upstairs into their bedroom. She arched an eyebrow at the hanyou still in her kitchen.

Shifting uncomfortable under her gaze, Inuyasha murmured, "I should probably get going."

"You should." Rising from her seat, Kagome took her and Kouga's dishes over to the sink to soak in water. She turned and leaned back against the counter, her gaze fixed on him. "Inuyasha… I…"

"You don't have to tell me.

"I— huh?"

"Don't tell me that I was the only one who thought that was awkward as fuck. The only one who probably didn't notice was that dense wolf." A sad look washed over him and Inuyasha's voice became very soft. "I think it's better if we just stop… whatever it is that we were trying to accomplish."

He strode towards her and Kagome felt her breath hitch. She tried to move away but realized that she was already pressed up against the kitchen counter. She looked up and all of a sudden, he was _everywhere_. Inuyasha stood in front of her, his arms trapping her as he leaned on the counter. He was so close that Kagome could smell his familiar scent, could hear the familiar rhythm of the heart in his chest. He was all that she could sense as he towered over her, his golden eyes boring into hers.

She couldn't take it anymore.

Inuyasha was so shocked when Kagome threw herself into his arms that he nearly staggered back. His arms immediately moved to encircle her and he held on to her as tightly as she clutched him. Before he could say anything, she pulled her face away from his chest and turned her sweet, honest eyes towards his.

"Just… let me hold you for the last time. It's the last time I think I'll ever feel again."

Inuyasha squeezed tighter. "That's not true, Kagome. You have the biggest heart and I'm grateful that you even let me into it once."

"Inuyasha…" Kagome tenderly placed a hand on his cheek. "You never left. I may not love you like before before… but I still care for you. I still love you."

Kagome could never have expected how a simple sentence could feel so heavy and freeing at the same. She stepped out of his embrace, handed him the thermoses of coffee she had prepared, and walked to the front door, holding it open. "You should go home, Inuyasha. It's late and we both have a lot of work to do in the morning." Kagome nearly winced from the banality of her words.

Inuyasha nodded and made his way through the house, taking the coffee she offered, and paused before the open door to gently press his lips against her forehead— a simple goodbye kiss, she knew— and walked out into darkness. Kagome leaned against the doorframe, watching as the lights of his car dimmed into nothing.

* * *

With another sigh, Kagome leafed through the papers in the file, her eyes drifting out her window again. Frustrated, she leaned back in her chair, her forefinger and thumb rubbing her eyes, attempting to relieve the weariness that settled upon them. To say that the past few months were stressful was a gross understatement. Neither she nor Kouga got much sleep and they both knew how they were running themselves ragged with the work they put in. They barely had time for themselves, let alone each other. She tried to stay up and wait for Kouga to come home, but he just came home too late that she fell asleep or he ended up falling asleep at the station. Sometimes it was the other way around and she found herself waking up with a stiff neck as she removed the file that had stuck to her face when she fell asleep at her desk in the office.

And Inuyasha…

Kagome knew from how Kouga talked that the situation wasn't too different for the hanyou. Kouga complained about the workload, using it as an explanation as to why Inuyasha didn't come to the house anymore when Kouga invited him. Kagome sighed again.

The two hadn't seen each other since before the December holidays and when her eyes glanced out of her window, Kagome could already see the beginning signs of spring. She still had his present hidden in the back of the closet. She didn't know what to do with it. She supposed that she could ask Kouga to pass it on, blame its lateness on her forgetfulness or the fact that she hadn't seen him but the thing was… _she_ wanted to give it to him— watch his face as he opened the present and hoped that he liked it.

Suppressing another sigh, Kagome pushed Inuyasha to the back of her mind and concentrated on the file in front of her once more. Finally, when she was getting back into the state of mind that allowed the most production, she was disrupted by an obnoxious beep and a flashing red light on her phone, indicating her secretary paging her on the intercom.

Kagome pressed the intercom button, her eyes never leaving the pile of papers scattered in front of her. "Chiro, I told you that I wasn't going to be accepting any calls today," she reminded her.

"I'm aware of that, Mrs. Higurashi, but—"

"Chiro…" Kagome warned playfully.

"I'm sorry. Kagome. But there's someone here to see you."

Kagome looked away from the papers and at the phone, raising an eyebrow. "I have no meetings or consultations scheduled. Tell this person that if no appointment's been scheduled, then I can't take any time to meet. It's also rude and inconsiderate and that if he or she would like to work with me, then I suggest learning some basic manners."

The door to her office opened abruptly and Kagome stood quickly, placing her hands on the desk, slightly leaning forward, ready to tell off whoever barged in.

Chiro attempted to block the doorway but she shrunk and reluctantly stood to the side. "Sir, please. I can't let you in. Mrs. Higurashi isn't interested in—"

Kagome exhaled forcefully and closed her eyes as she spoke. "Sir, if you'll please listen to my secretary, I don't have the time to meet with anyone and you didn't give me the decency of scheduling an appointment so I'll have to ask you to leave before I call security."

"You would call security on your own father?" the cool voice replied.

Snapping her eyes open, Kagome's jaw hung open at the sight of her father standing in front of her desk. She looked to Chiro, whose face held an expression of awe and curiosity.

Nervously fixing her skirt and twisting her wedding rings, Kagome instructed Chiro, "Chiro, take a long lunch break. Close the door behind you, please."

Kagome's orders brought the girl out of her daze. She nodded and bowed quickly to both Higurashis. "Yes, ma'am."

Walking around her desk, Kagome stood in front of her father, scrutinizing him just as he was studying her. It had been a long time since she had been face to face with him. It was at Souta's high school graduation. They sat together in the folded chairs lined up in the high school auditorium. She cheered for her younger brother as he received his diploma while her father sat impassively, cracking only the slightest of smiles for the family pictures that Jii-chan took. When her brother came home for the winter holidays, she had him over for dinner and to pass along presents to their father and grandfather. He told her how their father was much more tired and finally appeared to be showing his age.

Now, she saw it for herself. His stoic face sagged, carved with fine lines and heavy wrinkles around his eyes. His brow seemed to be permanently furrowed and she could see flecks of grey peppered in his brows and receding hair. Sadao Higurashi had never looked more human. It was unnerving for Kagome. Kagome saw his dark eyes look over her with a peculiar expression. She saw sadness in the lines of his mouth.

Sadao stood woodenly and Kagome didn't know what to do. Her father wasn't the affectionate type. And after her mother died, he was left with two children who thrived on the affection that was always showered on them by his wife. With no idea how to give them that, he retreated even further physically and emotionally.

Slightly pursing her lips, Kagome stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her father's waist. "Hi, Dad. It's been a long time. I'm sorry about that."


	7. Chapter 7

_Last Time…_

_When her brother came home for the winter holidays, she had him over for dinner and to pass along presents to their father and grandfather. He told her how their father was much more tired and finally appeared to be showing his age._

_Now, she saw it for herself. His stoic face sagged, carved with fine lines and heavy wrinkles around his eyes. His brow seemed to be permanently furrowed and she could see flecks of grey peppered in his brows and receding hair. Sadao Higurashi had never looked more human. It was unnerving for Kagome. Kagome saw his dark eyes look over her with a peculiar expression. She saw sadness in the lines of his mouth._

_Sadao stood woodenly and Kagome didn't know what to do. Her father wasn't the affectionate type. And after her mother died, he was left with two children who thrived on the affection that was always showered on them by his wife. With no idea how to give them that, he retreated even further physically and emotionally._

_Slightly pursing her lips, Kagome stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her father's waist. "Hi, Dad. It's been a long time. I'm sorry about that."_

* * *

Kagome registered that it was a very long time before either one of them moved. She was about to loosen her hold when she felt her father's arms come around her back and squeeze. She smiled into her father's chest and tightened her hold before stepping back to smile up at him.

"Why don't we go have lunch?"

Nodding, Sadao answered, "I… I think I'd like that."

Kagome found that a comfortable silence developed between them as they walked through the streets, Kagome leading him to a small café that she frequented when she allowed herself a longer, more relaxed lunch break. They sat at a table, waiting for their orders to arrive. Kagome savored the jolt of caffeine from her freshly brewed coffee while Sadao poured himself another cup of tea.

"How have you been, Dad? Did Souta pass along the gifts from Kouga and me?"

"Yes. Thank you, by the way. I forgot your presents… I'll have someone send them over to your house."

"Why don't you come over for dinner?" Kagome suggested, a smile on her face. "Kami knows that Kouga and I need some time to relax. You can bring them along sometime this week and I'll cook dinner. Our favorite: udon. Not as good as when Mom made it, but I use her recipe."

Sadao gave her a smile small and hugged his fingers around the teacup. Kagome took notice of how they shook and frowned slightly.

"I'm an old man, Kagome," he reminded her softly.

"I… it's just… I'm not used to seeing you that way," she said sheepishly, a slight blush coloring her cheeks.

"The past year has been more stressful than usual. I'm sure you know that, what with the stack of papers all over your desk. It's a familiar sight for me, also." He sighed. "I came to see you because I wanted to talk to you about some legal things. In my will—"

A loud clatter rang in their ears when Kagome flinched and dropped the spoon she had been stirring her coffee with. "Your will?! Dad, what are you talking about? Sure, you're getting older but you're not _dying_."

"Kagome, calm down. I just want you to be aware of what I've arranged. I'm fairly certain that I won't change anything anymore. I'd like to have everything finalized and make sure you and Souta don't have to worry about anything." He took a sip of his tea and continued, "I've relegated equal shares of my estate to you and Souta. Souta will receive his share upon completion of his degree and of course, you would be entitled to your share immediately. I've also set aside several funds for any children you two have. It'll accumulate interest until you feel that they're ready to receive them. This would all occur after my death, of course."

He paused, saw Kagome's expression and lightly scolded his daughter, "For Kami's sake, stop looking at me as if I might drop dead here. It's just better to be prepared."

Shamefacedly, Kagome muttered an apology and ducked her head. She raised it when she felt her father pat his hand over hers.

"I'm sorry. I just don't want you to worry even more. I'm aware of the strain within the legal community in the past few months what with the uptick of crime activity. It's highly unnecessary for me to add to your stress. I'm fine. I just want you and Souta to have everything you need." Sadao's mouth slightly rose at the corners. "Besides, look at your Jii-chan. Nearly a century old but he still has the strength to climb up and down those stairs at the shrine and preach about the magic of the spirits and of those key chains he's always trying to sell."

The two couldn't suppress a grin at the image of the old man, still wearing traditional Shinto robes and waving his broom around, regaling another weary-eyed tourist with the supposed magical properties of the items in the gift shop. The conversation came to a lull as their food arrived at the table and they eagerly ate their lunch.

"So how _are_ you handling the increased workload?" he asked.

"It's definitely more than I've ever had to deal with, especially at one time. Kouga and I are more than a little burned out. It's not uncommon for either one of us to find ourselves waking up on top of paperwork at work. It's," she paused contemplating her choice of words, "rough."

Sadao's thick eyebrows furrowed together. "If you need any help, just ask. I'm sure I could spare a legal aid or two to help with the minor paperwork. Your bosses wouldn't mind extra help from another firm, right? As for Kouga, I'm afraid I don't know too many people in the police force."

"No, Dad, it's fine. The two of us just need to adjust. We… we'll work through it."

"I'm glad to hear it." Sadao took his daughter's hand again. He sighed heavily, lowering his voice. "Kagome, I'm scared. I'm aware that your firm has taken some cases that deal with very dangerous people and I don't want you caught in the crossfire."

Squeezing his hand, Kagome assured him, "Don't worry. Kouga said the same thing. I'm staying away from those cases. I'm taking everyone else's castoffs, which is why I'm so swamped. You have nothing to worry about. I'm just stuck dealing with corporate lawsuits and mergers and policy changes. Very menial topics." She raised an eyebrow at him. "What about you?"

He dismissed her concern quickly. "You know I'm rarely in the courtroom anymore. And Kouga? I'm sure he isn't able to deflect assignments like that."

Kagome made a face at his dismissal, but let it go. "He isn't… but he and Inuyasha are working so hard and they've accomplished a lot in the short while that—"

"Inuyasha?"

Kagome's breath got caught in her throat.

"As in Inuyasha Takado? Izayoi's son?"

"Yes."

"He and Kouga are partners now?" The shock was evident in Sadao's voice. "Last I heard, he had moved to America. I wasn't aware that he came back to Tokyo. I haven't heard much from Izayoi since she retired."

"Inuyasha came back a few months ago, at the start of winter. I've seen him a handful of times and I had lunch with Izayoi once."

"That's nice," he said absentmindedly. "But Inuyasha…"

"It's all in the past now, I guess. We've both moved on."

Sadao narrowed his eyes shrewdly. "Kagome, I might not have been the most attentive father, but it doesn't take anyone more than two eyes to see how devoted the two of you were to each other. He was there for you through a lot… he was the one that helped you survive your mother's cancer and death. Something like that, a _bond_ like that doesn't just disappear in a couple of years."

Kagome didn't know how to respond and stared at him, numb.

He leaned back in his chair and sighed. "I have a lot to thank him for."

"Huh?"

"Like I said, I'm not sure what would have happened if he wasn't there to help you through everything. I certainly wasn't much help."

"Dad…"

"I just wanted to use today to apologize for everything. Ever since your brother died… I know that I took it out on you when I had no right to. It was an accident and… I just needed something to be angry at. It never should have been you. You're my only daughter, you're my little girl and I… was a stupid, grieving—"

"Father. You were a hurting father who lost a son." Kagome had tears in her eyes. "Dad, I know how much Sadao meant to you. He was your firstborn and it's my fault that he's gone."

"Stop. It was an accident. You were a little girl. How could anyone have known?"

"But it was my fault that Sadao got hit by that car! If I didn't wander out into the middle of the road… if he didn't push me out of the way—"

"Then I probably would have made him feel the way I've made you feel all these years. Kagome, I never meant to make you feel as though I hate you or blame you for your brother's death. If it were the other way around, I probably would have acted that way towards him. It's an ugly truth, but I was just so angry at life."

"He was your firstborn, your first son," she insisted, looking down at her lap.

"And you're my only daughter. And Souta is my youngest and now my only son. I love and treasure all of you. I just didn't know how to show that anymore. That's why I'm so grateful to Inuyasha. He loved you so much, Kagome. Although I behaved as if I disapproved, I was just being an overprotective father. And he became another big brother for Souta. He's a good man. Kouga's lucky to have him as a partner."

Kagome felt the saltwater fall down her cheeks in small trails.

"I didn't come from much. You know that. That's why I placed so much importance on work and to train Sadao to become my heir. I wanted my children and my grandchildren and everyone in my family to never experience what I did. And Sadao was brilliant. Everything was perfect. I didn't realize how quickly life can change and turn in a completely different direction than I planned. I thought I failed as a father. And then I lost your mother and I thought everything was being taken away. It hasn't been easy, not that I'm trying to make excuses. I just—"

"Dad. I love you. Souta loves you. You're a good father. You may not show much affection but that doesn't mean that we don't know it's there. Souta and I know how much hard work you put in for us and we all know how badly you were hurting when Mama was in the hospital and when she died. You're human. You can't keep everything bottled up. We may be your children, but we're adults now. We can handle it."

Sadao cupped his daughter's cheek in his hand. "You have the very best of us, you know. I didn't want you following in my footsteps, working for me because I knew you could do better on your own. It wasn't because I didn't value you or didn't want you near me. I miss you, Kagome. But I'm so proud of you. You're just as sweet and beautiful as your mother, and so smart and hardworking, and _determined_. You're the best of us."

"It's ok, Dad. I'd do it all over again just to keep our family the way it was." She smiled warmly. "How about you have dinner with Kouga and me this Saturday? I'm sure it'd be a nice surprise for him. I'll call Souta and see if he can come home from school tonight and spend the weekend."

"I'd like that."

The two returned to their meal, their conversation and hearts much lighter than it had been in years.

* * *

Inuyasha made a face, wrinkling his nose as he made his way around the backyard, smelling the fresh fertilizer his mother had just laid down in her garden in preparation of spring. He managed to find her small frame, crouched over a plant bed, covered in baggy clothes and a floppy sunhat. She had a small shovel in her hand and was digging up weeds and dead plants while turning up the soil.

"Hey, Mom."

Izayoi turned around and held a hand above her eyes, squinting in the sunlight. A grin broke out on her face when she saw Inuyasha and she stood up and brushed off her pants, removing her gardening gloves before hugging him.

"Inuyasha! What a surprise! Come on in, I'll make you some lunch." Izayoi's arms were already wrapped around Inuyasha's waist, being too short to reach him around his shoulders like she would when Inuyasha was younger.

Resisting her pull, Inuyasha insisted, "Really, I'm not hungry." He felt her tug at him more and he relented.

"Well that's the worst lie I've ever heard. You're always hungry, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha slid open the glass door that served as a barrier between Izayoi's garden and the solarium, also covered in green hanging plants and bright flowers that added color to the neutral tones of the white and beige furniture. "Take a seat, Mom. I'll bring you some tea."

Izayoi removed her hat and set it on the coffee table in front of her, brushing loose strands of dark hair away from her face. "Are you sure you don't want any lunch? I hate to think that all you've been eating are those horrible instant noodles."

"Hey, those are my favorite!" He scowled when his mother made a face at him. "Really, Mom. I'm not hungry. I just wanted to see you." He ran a hand through his hair, trying to hide the slight blush on his face.

The sentiment softened Izayoi's expression. "Okay. I already have a kettle on." She settled into the sofa and Inuyasha hurried into the kitchen. She knew it was probably to escape her and her motherly coddling than to get the tea. "What a stubborn boy," she murmured, laughing to herself quietly.

"I heard that!" Inuyasha's voice echoed loudly.

Izayoi only smiled delicately at him in return when he reentered the solarium carrying a tray with the kettle and two cups. He placed it on the coffee table and poured into both cups before taking a seat next to her. As Izayoi sipped from her cup, she noticed that Inuyasha merely held his in his hands and stared into the surface of the liquid. She frowned at the dark shadows underneath his amber eyes and the lines that had somehow made their way onto her son's face.

"I hope you're managing to get enough sleep."

"Keh! I don't need sleep like other people do."

"That doesn't mean that you don't need it at all. I don't think you've been to your apartment in ages. Your maid called and told me she that she was worried since she hasn't seen you in weeks."

Inuyasha gave a gruff grunt. "I just get home late. It's not like there's much to do there besides sleep, shower, and eat. I'd rather be at the station or around town, working."

"How's that going?" At Inuyasha's silence, Izayoi pressed, "I know you can't give me details about anything. I'm just curious as to whether everything's going well or whether you and Kouga have hit a brick wall."

Inuyasha put down the cup and leaned back against the couch, his head tilted up towards the glass ceiling. "Some days are better than others," he replied vaguely. His long fingers twisted restlessly. "Sometimes, it feels like too much. The other night, one of the men from our precinct was sent to the hospital in critical condition from a warehouse raid gone bad."

Inuyasha's eyes hardened and he grit his teeth. "There must have been a snitch who warned the thugs. There's no other way that they would have been ready for us like that."

"How is he?"

His jaw clenching, Inuyasha said, "Still in critical condition. Hasn't woken up. A bullet nicked a major artery and he suffered a lot of blood loss… went into shock before we could get him to the hospital." He closed his eyes wearily. "I had to go and pick up his fiancée to bring her to the hospital. She was in hysterics. She still hasn't left his side."

"Poor thing," Izayoi said, a deep, sympathetic frown marring her features. "It's a terrifying position to be in. How is Kagome handling having Kouga go out?"

"I wouldn't know," Inuyasha said curtly.

"You don't know?"

"I haven't seen her in a while. The both of us have been busy. But by the way Kouga talks, it sounds like she's worried."

"It's more than reasonable for her to be worried. Kouga and you are basically putting yourselves out there as targets. I can't imagine being in her situation if either one of you were hurt. The two of you are so important to Kagome."

Striving to move the conversation onto another topic, Inuyasha glanced around the room. His gaze landed on a hanging planter that held large, goblet-shaped flowers with petals in various shades of white, pink, and purple. "Those are pretty."

Izayoi was momentarily confused by his sudden change in conversation before following his gaze. She raised her eyebrows at him before smiling softly. "They're magnolias. They were a gift."

"A gift?" Inuyasha repeated, stunned. The thought of his mother dating was—

"A gift from Kagome."

Inuyasha shifted in his seat, embarrassed. So his mother wasn't dating.

Unaware of her son's train of thought, Izayoi continued, "She said that she knew how much I loved my garden and sent me a young plant for Christmas. Gorgeous flowers, aren't they? They bloom right at the start of spring so they've just begun to flourish."

"Yeah… beautiful."

"I wonder how Kagome knew about my garden." She threw Inuyasha a pointed look.

He averted his eyes. "I might have mentioned it in passing."

"I see. It's a shame that all of you are so busy. I'd like to see her more. We haven't met since we had lunch right after you came back."

Inuyasha's silence concerned her. "What's wrong? Have you and Kagome had a fight? Or does Kouga feel uncomfortable given your history?"

"No… no. Kouga's… he's fine. He's annoyingly happy about everything. Kagome and I just haven't seen each other. I guess we lost track of time. We have our own lives."

Izayoi narrowed her violet eyes at her son astutely. "Are you sure that's it?" She gently placed her cup onto the tray and turned to face Inuyasha. "I know that the past few years have been rough on you. You and Kagome separated and you moved to a new country where you spent your time studying and training hard to be where you are today. Then you come back and I'd imagine it hurts to know that life went on without you. Kagome married someone else."

"Mom, I don't want to talk about it."

"Inuyasha, you have to," Izayoi said sternly. She rarely used this tone of voice, save for when Inuyasha was younger and particularly rude. It had been years since she'd had to be so severe.

"What do you want me to say? That I still love her? That I wish she wasn't married to Kouga? That more than anything, I had hoped that in the time I was gone, she would have forgiven me, would have waited for me? That I was stupid enough to think that what the two of us had might have been strong enough to withstand what we went through?! Because I was a _damn idiot_! I _do_ wish all of that! She didn't wait. But there's nothing I can do about it!"

Inuyasha roughly pushed himself off of the couch and paced through the solarium, eventually slowing, his back to his mother. "What's done is done." He turned toward the bouquet of magnolias forlornly. "I love Kagome. I missed her so much. I _still_ miss her. I thought that maybe the two of us could be friends, but we couldn't separate the past from the present. And… she's happy with Kouga. He treats her well. They have a good, comfortable life. I'm willing to be a little miserable if she ends up happy."

"Maybe you're right. Maybe it's better that everything ended up this way."

Inuyasha whirled around to stare at his mother who looked back at him impassively.

"If it's so easy for you to give up on trying to maintain a relationship with Kagome, then maybe it's a good thing that you stopped. It obviously doesn't mean that much to you."

"That's not what I meant—"

"Then why would you immediately give up on a girl like Kagome?"

"She's married, Mom! Would you like me to end her marriage? I have no right to do that!"

Izayoi's eyes widened and she reeled back as if she were struck. Inuyasha immediately looked away, a guilty look on his face. He fidgeted under her gaze and Izayoi coolly composed herself.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that," he whispered.

"Inuyasha, sit down," Izayoi said softly, but with an edge that left no room for disobedience. She took a deep breath before continuing, her posture wavering. "I didn't mean to insinuate that you should break up her marriage. I just meant that you and Kagome obviously have a special relationship. Even if you can't have the one you used to have, that's no reason to let her go completely. I can't see why you should have to quarantine yourself from her. There's no shame in being friends, Inuyasha. I know you said it's hard to separate the past from the present, but when has anything worth having been easy? I didn't raise a son that gave up so quickly. I raised someone who fights for what he wants, who doesn't walk away from a fight empty handed."

Inuyasha still couldn't bring himself to listen to his mother so she took his chin in her fingers and forced him to look at her. "Life doesn't always follow the plan you make, Inuyasha. Actually, it _never_ follows your plans. So as much as you might try to find a way around it, sometimes it's better to just surrender your old plan and work on a new one. If you can't have Kagome the way you want, find another way to keep her."

"I don't think I can be satisfied with just her friendship," he admitted.

"You'd rather not have her at all?"

Inuyasha closed his eyes. "It would be less painful than to be around her and Kouga and seeing them so happy. I'm glad she's happy. I just wish—"

"That it were you instead," Izayoi finished knowingly. "I know the feeling, Inuyasha. But like I said, when has anything worth having been easy? It's still fresh. Give it some time and eventually, the two of you will find your way towards a comfortable relationship." She laced her fingers in her lap.

"Your father and I managed to do that, didn't we?"

Inuyasha's eyes snapped open. His mother never talked about his father and he never bothered to ask. He knew how much the topic caused her pain.

"Inuyasha, I can talk about your father. It still hurts, but if you wanted to know more about him, I'd gladly tell you about him. I know you never got any time with him and he died when you were a teenager…" She smiled sadly at him. "But you see, he's the reason I feel I can empathize with you."

"Mom, look, I don't need you to tell me anything."

"I know. But I want to. And I want you to know. It's too late for me to change anything. I _couldn't_ change anything. You still can. I want to show you what the difference is." Izayoi reached for the side table next to the couch, pulling open a drawer and taking out a photo album. She placed it in her lap and leafed through the pages gently. She stopped and pulled out a photo.

"This was taken right after your father and I met. I was working as a paralegal to a partner of the law firm his company employed. I was still making my way through law school to become a fully recognized lawyer." Izayoi lightly ran a finger over the photograph. "Toga, your father, was a very charming, enigmatic man. It was easy for a young woman like myself to be infatuated with him. But he also had marvelous insight, was intelligent, kind, and compassionate. That's why I fell in love with him. Who knows why he fell in love with me…"

"Mom…"

"I knew he was married of course, so I kept my feelings to myself. But everything changed very suddenly. We were at a dinner, a charity event, which his corporation was throwing. Maybe it was the wine or the champagne but he had asked me to dance and I agreed. And that first dance is one of my best memories. We both tried to ignore our feelings and pretend that nothing had changed, but obviously it had. Soon after, he told me he was going to leave his wife and that he wanted to be with me. He told me he loved me. And the look in his eyes… I knew it… every cell in my body knew that he was telling the truth."

Handing the photo to Inuyasha, she continued, "It wasn't long before we were engaged. And then we found out I was pregnant with you. But we were unable to go through with the wedding because of his first wife. She refused to sign the divorce papers, to discuss any type of settlement. She blamed it on the fact that they had a child together and she didn't want a broken family. In any case, she managed to drag it out into the long process you remember going through when you were growing up. I know you didn't get to see Toga much, but it was because he was always so busy trying to find a way to fix everything. He desperately wanted us to be a proper family. He loved you so much, Inuyasha. In the end, I decided that maybe it wasn't worth it and we were better off without getting married. That didn't mean I wanted to end the relationship; I was just tired of fighting so hard for something I thought would never happen. But it hurt your father. He thought that I'd given up on us. He was so angry with me. It was in the middle of that mess that your father got in that car accident. Then, his wife got everything, denied us whatever Toga left us, and used her clout as his widow to ruin me. He died and I lost everything: the love of my life, the father of my child, my job, my reputation. That car crash killed every dream I'd ever had for myself."

Izayoi looked at Inuyasha with ferocity in her eyes. "I can't let you give up, Inuyasha. I don't want you suffering like I did."

"But you got over it."

"I've made peace with how my life ended up," she clarified. "It still hurts, though. To know that it ended that way because I gave up. I don't want this kind of regret for you."

"You said I have a sibling…"

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I don't know much. Your father never told me anything. He said that his first wife didn't want me to know anything about the child and as she was the mother, he respected her wishes. They also made sure to keep him or her out of the public eye. I don't know much except for the fact that he or she would be a few years older than you and share your last name, though that doesn't help much. Takado is a common name."

"Was she also a youkai?"

"His first wife? Yes, she is. I suppose that my being human was another reason why she hated me so much. Her husband chose a human over her."

"Mom?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

Izayoi smiled and hugged Inuyasha, who returned the gesture, burying his face in her shoulder, like he did when he was little.

"You look just like him. You're just as stubborn, also. Although, I might have added to that." She sighed. "At least I got to keep a piece of him, something she can't take away." Izayoi pulled away and touched his face gently. "I'm really proud of you, Inuyasha. And your father would be, too."

"Thanks, Mom."

"Now please, go and talk to Kagome. And tell her how much I love and appreciate the magnolias." She smiled at him and Inuyasha couldn't help but roll his eyes at her.

"Sure, mom."


	8. Chapter 8

_Last Time…_

_Izayoi smiled and hugged Inuyasha, who returned the gesture, burying his face in her shoulder, like he did when he was little._

_"You look just like him. You're just as stubborn, also. Although, I might have added to that." She sighed. "At least I got to keep a piece of him, something she can't take away." Izayoi pulled away and touched his face gently. "I'm really proud of you, Inuyasha. And your father would be, too."_

_"Thanks, Mom."_

_"Now please, go and talk to Kagome. And tell her how much I love and appreciate the magnolias." She smiled at him and Inuyasha couldn't help but roll his eyes at her._

_"Sure, mom."_

* * *

Inuyasha crouched down to grab the bottle of wine at the bottom of the rack, lazily perusing the various labels. In his peripheral vision, he saw a pair of scuffed up sneakers pass by him. He took a tentative sniff before putting the bottle back in its place to smirk at the young man next to him.

"Hey, kid. It's been a while. How've you been?"

"Inuyasha!" Souta let out a joyous laugh and immediately held his hand out.

Inuyasha scoffed at the gesture and pulled the younger boy to him, his arm wrapping around Souta's shoulders before sliding up to hold him in a loose headlock. "Really? You're going to give me a _handshake_? You can do better than that, kid."

Souta squirmed out of Inuyasha's hold and tousled his mussed up hair until it fell back into place. "Quit calling me 'kid', Inuyasha. It's not like I'm thirteen years old sneaking up on you and Kagome sucking face in her bedroom."

"Keh! Like you could. Super hearing and super smell," Inuyasha reminded him, a clawed finger pointing at the triangular appendages on the top of his head.

"You could say that again. When's the last time you showered?" Souta teased, backing away with a wrinkled nose.

"You're such a little shit," Inuyasha said, but the cheeky grin on his face betrayed him. He turned back to the wine rack, examining another bottle. "Some of us adults have adult things to do like work. We can't all be out partying every night. Speaking of which, shouldn't you be at school?"

Shrugging, Souta leaned on the rack Inuyasha was looking through. "I've been coming home every weekend for the past month. I don't know how it happened, but Kagome and Dad have seemed to patch things up. We all have dinner at her house every Saturday now. I was just looking to pick up some ice cream for dessert when I saw you starting your long sordid future as a grumpy alcoholic apparently."

"Brat," Inuyasha muttered. His eyebrows came together in contemplation. "So you guys and your dad are okay now? I can't say I saw that coming. It's good, though."

"You should come to dinner," Souta suggested, a hopeful expression on his face.

Inuyasha fought to not scoff in Souta's face. So he turned away and scoffed. "It sounds like this is more of a family thing. Besides, your father isn't exactly my number one fan."

Souta raised his eyebrows and reminded him, "Very few fathers are fans of the wild, problematic teenage boys that their daughters sneak out to see at all hours of the night."

"Hey! I wasn't wild or problematic. Also, you should've been asleep by then."

"The two of you weren't as sneaky as you thought you were." Souta then narrowed his eyes at Inuyasha and Inuyasha found it eerie how similar he looked to Kagome when he did that. "But you're just deflecting my invitation."

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha reminded him, "It's not your house, therefore, you don't have the authority to invite me." He chose a bottle and placed it in the plastic basket before walking away. He could hear the rubber soles of Souta's sneakers squeaking as he chased after him.

"Inuyasha! Come on! I haven't seen you in years!"

Turning back to glance at Souta, Inuyasha shook his head and chuckled dryly, his gaze returning to the rows of raw meat. "So we'll hang out when you don't have plans with your family," he replied matter of factly. "Your brother-in-law and your sister have my number."

Souta made a face at him before a gleam entered his eyes. Inuyasha noticed and looked at him warily. "What kind of idea did you just get?"

Ignoring him, Souta pulled out his phone and dialed, a mischievous grin appearing on his face. Before Inuyasha could process what was happening, Souta backed away and hurried off but his voice still carried enough for Inuyasha's hypersensitive hearing to pick up.

"Hey sis, do you think you have enough food for one more? No it's not for my _girlfriend_ ," he sneered, mimicking Kagome's singsong tone. "I just bumped into Inuyasha at the grocery store and I took pity on him. Come on, sis. Can I take the puppy home?"

Inuyasha growled under his breath and crept up behind Souta. "Are you serious? You had to use a damn dog joke?"

Souta grinned back at him. "Yeah, there's nothing in his basket right now except for a bottle of wine and some potato chips… Ok then, I'll see you soon." As soon as he hung up, Souta reached into Inuyasha's basket and took out the potato chips, tossing it onto a nearby shelf, ignoring his protests. "Kagome says to just bring the wine and hurry up and get your ass over there. The food is getting cold."

Inuyasha stared dumbfounded at him. "You damn Higurashis sure know how to get what you want. Fine." He narrowed his amber eyes at Souta when he saw the younger man's triumphant smile. "Only because your sister would kill me if I didn't go. And I'd have to hear it from Kouga at work. I can only take so much nagging."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I still have to go pick out the ice cream. I'll see you there."

"How long does it take to pick up a tub of ice cream?"

"Are you kidding me? It's _ice cream_. The possibilities are endless." Souta scoffed and walked away. "This guy," he muttered, "He obviously has no taste…"

Shaking his head, Inuyasha laughed off Souta's reaction and made his way to the cashier to pay for the wine. After settling into his car and putting the bottle in the passenger's seat, Inuyasha caught sight of himself in the rearview mirror. He frowned and ignored his thoughts, starting the car and driving the uncomfortably familiar route to Kagome's house. He hadn't gotten around to speaking to Kagome like his mother had asked him. He planned on calling her up… he just found himself swamped with work. And he pushed it down his list of priorities. Now he was being coerced into seeing her, along with her father.

Inuyasha hadn't seen Sadao Higurashi since graduating from high school. It was more than a little unsettling to think about seeing him again. Like Souta said, Sadao had never really warmed up to him, being the illegitimate, hanyou teenager who was the cause of Kagome's sneaking out. And the fact that he was a male didn't help at all.

"Gah!" Inuyasha rolled down the windows to let the brisk night air bite into his skin and offer him something to take his mind off of what was to come.

Getting into fights as a kid and as a teenager didn't scare him when he was younger. He lived for the fight, the adrenaline. It gave him something to prove. That much hadn't changed. Inuyasha barely broke a sweat when it came to facing a gun, especially when there was a good chance his reflexes would allow him to avoid any shots. But ask him over for dinner with the family of his ex-girlfriend, including her disapproving father? Inuyasha would rather face a firing squad.

Far too soon for his liking, Inuyasha pulled up to the house, parking his car on the gravel of the driveway. He turned off the engine and sat numbly in his car. He knew that Kouga would have heard his car and that he couldn't delay this any longer. Inuyasha grabbed the bottle and exited the car, his shoes crunching on the gravel before he made it to the stone pathway leading to the front door. Before he made it to the steps, the porch light turned on and the door opened, Kagome's smile greeting him, along with the smell of a home cooked meal.

"Well that was creepy," he deadpanned, leaning down to give Kagome a quick hug.

Kagome frowned at him. "You're _the_ rudest person I know."

"Especially when it was me who told her you were here," Kouga interjected, a small, pert grin on his face. He happily took the wine from Inuyasha and clapped him on the back before leading him into the kitchen. "You want a beer while we wait for Sadao and Souta?"

"Do you really need to ask?"

After putting the bottle in an ice bucket, Kouga reached into the refrigerator and pulled out several bottles and reached into his pocket to get to the bottle opener attached to his set of keys. "You and Kagome can head out back. With the nicer weather, we decided it'd be better to have dinner on the deck."

Inuyasha took the offered bottle and hesitated. "You sure you don't need my help with anything?"

"It's fine, dogface. Wouldn't want you messing anything up anyway."

Kouga hissed in a mixture of pain and annoyance when Inuyasha clipped him on the back of the head and he watched him walk towards the sliding door, already taking a swig from the bottle. Kouga rubbed the back of his head and put the unopened bottles in the bucket of ice on the kitchen counter before taking a pull from his own beer. He saw Kagome's shadow moving around in the foyer and walked towards her, leaning against the doorframe, watching her rummage in the closet.

Kagome lifted her head and blushed. "I have Inuyasha's Christmas present somewhere in here. I'm having a hard time finding it since we put all the boxes from our unsorted presents in here as well," she explained.

"Here, let me get it. I can probably sniff it out." He handed Kagome his bottle and poked around the closet.

"Oh you youkai with your super sense of smell. What would I do without you?" Kagome teased with a smile.

"Probably have an avalanche of boxes fall on top of you," Kouga said, his voice muffled from inside the closet. He stuck his head back out. "Don't worry, I'll find it. Why don't you go out back and keep Inuyasha company? Before he wreaks havoc on our backyard."

"What's the worse he could do?"

The question hung between them as they remembered Inuyasha's antics throughout high school and Kagome's complexion slightly paled. "I'll just go check on Inuyasha."

Chuckling, Kouga said, "You go do that. Oh, but first…" He stepped out of the closet and gently cupped his hand on the side of Kagome's neck, pulling her in for a kiss. Kagome squeaked in surprise before returning the kiss, laughing when they pulled apart. "Ok, now you can go."

Kagome shook her head at him and handed him his beer. "I'm sure you can manage to find it one handed, right oh strong and powerful one?"

"Is that a challenge?"

Kagome raised an eyebrow at him.

"Challenge accepted then."

Kouga took the bottle from her and gave her another kiss before returning his attention to the closet. Kagome walked into the kitchen, taking the ice bucket with her as she made her way onto her deck. She put the bucket in the center of the large table that had already been set with plates and dishes of food. Her eyes alighted on Inuyasha, who was standing in the grass, his eyes fixed on the dark night sky. The soft glow from the house and back porch light cast an otherworldly glow over him, distorting his shadow. She startled when he turned around and looked at her and surprised herself by finding herself leaning on the railing of the deck, staring at him like a creepy stalker. She hoped he wouldn't catch her blush in the darkness and stepped away from the railing.

Kagome made her way down the steps to join him on the grass. She stood next to him, her hands clasped behind her back. Kagome felt Inuyasha's eyes on her and looked up at him to see him smirk at her before he looked away and brought the beer to his lips.

Bringing it away from his face, Inuyasha mentioned with a casual air, "My mom wanted me to mention that she loves the magnolias you sent her."

A wide grin appeared on Kagome's face as she gazed into the dense trees surrounding the perimeter of the property. "I'm glad."

"They're beautiful. Reminded me of you."

"Inuyasha…"

"I was thinking… maybe we gave up too quickly on trying to be friends."

Kagome raised her gaze to meet his, nearly falling over from his words. "Maybe…"

"And I don't know about you, but my mother doesn't really buy the 'too busy working' excuse'. According to her, if we really wanted to see each other, we'd make time for each other."

"It _has_ been really hectic for the both of us. But she's right. But you and I both know why we haven't seen each other. For the short while it lasted, it was really hard, Inuyasha. It still is." Kagome sighed and hugged her arms. "I miss you, though," she whispered.

Inuyasha felt an ache in his chest. "I miss you too, Kagome." He confessed, "It's been a tough few months. I think it's harder staying away from you now than when I lived in the States."

Kagome didn't say anything but Inuyasha saw the way her eyebrows came together in confusion. "I was halfway around the world from you. The distance gave me a good excuse to stay away. Now, I'm so close… I'm your husband's partner. The temptation to see you is a lot stronger, but so is the guilt."

"So what's your plan?"

"My plan?"

"What do you want now?" she asked, turning to face him.

"Kagome, I… I think the better question is what do _we_ want? I'd be happy with whatever made you happy."

"I don't think so."

Her words sliced through him, but Inuyasha insisted, "Kagome, you're underestimating how much your happiness means to me."

"You don't understand. My happiness is dependent on yours just as yours is on mine." Kagome sighed and turned her face towards the sky. "Could we... could _you_ really be satisfied?"

"I think I'd rather have you in my life than not at all," Inuyasha whispered. "I'm really not strong enough to handle life without you, Kagome. Not when I'm this close."

Kagome turned back to Inuyasha. "Then how did you last these past few years in America?"

Inuyasha's jaw clenched. "I didn't think that… I was a fucking idiot that thought you…"

Inuyasha tensed and Kagome could see his ears twitching. Before she could question him, Inuyasha loudly and obnoxiously began rambling, "If you ask me, I think wolfshit's plan to put a fence around the yard is stupid."

Kagome was silent for a split second too long, her mind trying to catch up. "Really? I don't know, I've always imagined having a white picket fence. I think it'd feel picturesque."

"Keh! There's no reason to try and separate yourself from the woods here."

"We'd put in a gate. Maybe even plan a small trail through the woods for hiking," Kouga said, coming up from behind them. He slung an arm around Kagome protectively. She frowned at him, bemused by his behavior. "Souta's finally here and he brought the entire dessert section of the grocery store with him."

Kagome's jaw dropped. "Are you serious? I told him two or three different flavors, max. We don't have enough room to hoard his ice cream."

Inuyasha laughed, highly amused. "Sounds like Souta to me."

Kagome grumbled, "I'm going to kill him," before stalking back towards the house.

Nodding at the house, Inuyasha asked, "How bad is it?"

Kouga smirked. "Kagome will definitely rip him a new one."

The two laughed raucously. Inuyasha said, "I don't know what goes through that kid's mind sometimes. It's as if he's purposely trying to piss off his sister."

"Isn't that every little brother's goal in life?"

"I'll drink to that." Inuyasha inclined his beer towards Kouga before emptying the bottle. He sighed in a mixture of contentment and nostalgia. "The kid was annoying during high school. Always snooping around and trying to tag along. I love Souta like my own brother, but that's just it. As much as I love him, he annoyed the shit out of me when he was younger," he chuckled. "It's good to see him now, all grown up. Or as grown up as he's going to get when it comes to Kagome."

"Strange to think that he's almost through college now. Makes me feel old. Or as old as a youkai can feel."

Kouga eyed Inuyasha's empty bottle. "You want another?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "No, it's fine. I'm driving home and I'm probably going to have some wine during dinner."

"Like one beer and a couple glasses of wine would impair your senses. Come on, don't be such a pussy."

"Yeah, maybe on a normal day. But I'm sleep deprived as fuck and I know how far I'm willing to push it. You trying to get me arrested or into an accident or something?" Inuyasha joked.

A heartbeat passed before Kouga laughed at him. "Of course not. You kidding? Look, if you're that concerned, you can stay here for the night. I'm sure Kagome wouldn't mind. We have a bunch of spare rooms for a reason."

Inuyasha shifted his weight uneasily. "It's fine. I'd like to sleep in my own bed. You know it's been a while. I'm beginning to think my face is going to be permanently etched into the desk from how often I've been sleeping on it."

Kouga nodded in agreement. "But we've managed to do a lot of good with our sacrifices. Maybe it's better that you stay at your place, though."

Before Inuyasha could ask him what he meant by that, the two were distracted by the distant sound of screeching tires and yelling. They stilled before the sound of grunts and a fist hitting skin spurred them to sprint towards the source of the noise.

"You smell that?" Inuyasha yelled as the wind whipped at them.

"Yeah. Blood. And it smells like Sadao Higurashi's."


	9. Chapter 9

_Last Time…_

_"Like one beer and a couple glasses of wine would impair your senses. Come on, don't be such a pussy."_

_"Yeah, maybe on a normal day. But I'm sleep deprived as fuck and I know how far I'm willing to push it. You trying to get me arrested or into an accident or something?" Inuyasha joked._

_A heartbeat passed before Kouga laughed at him. "Of course not. You kidding? Look, if you're that concerned, you can stay here for the night. I'm sure Kagome wouldn't mind. We have a bunch of spare rooms for a reason."_

_Inuyasha shifted his weight uneasily. "It's fine. I'd like to sleep in my own bed. You know it's been a while. I'm beginning to think my face is going to be permanently etched into the desk from how often I've been sleeping on it."_

_Kouga nodded in agreement. "But we've managed to do a lot of good with our sacrifices. Maybe it's better that you stay at your place, though."_

_Before Inuyasha could ask him what he meant by that, the two were distracted by the distant sound of screeching tires and yelling. They stilled before the sound of grunts and a fist hitting skin spurred them to sprint towards the source of the noise._

_"You smell that?" Inuyasha yelled as the wind whipped at them._

_"Yeah. Blood. And it smells like Sadao Higurashi's."_

* * *

Kagome and Souta were walking back out onto the deck when they saw Kouga and Inuyasha sprinting across the backyard towards the front yard.

Kagome frowned. "Kouga? Inuyasha? What the hell are you two—"

Inuyasha yelled back, "Call for an ambulance _now!_ "

"An ambulance?"

"Just do it, Kagome!"

Kagome dropped the plates she was holding and ran back into the house, Souta quickly following after her. The sound of shattering ceramic and glass fell on deaf ears and was left unattended, easily forgotten.

Inuyasha and Kouga pounded their feet against the asphalt of the road in front of Kouga and Kagome's home. The smell of blood intensified as they ran and both men frowned.

"Because we're getting closer or because the amount of blood is increasing?" Kouga asked.

"Keh! Just shut up and run!"

Inuyasha grunted and found within him a burst of energy to propel him even faster. Kouga matched his pace and began to overtake him. Kouga was always faster than Inuyasha— a track star during high school.

"Don't wait for me, you stupid wolf! Go and stop those fuckers!" Inuyasha roared.

With a nod, Kouga sped up more and disappeared around the corner, following the scent of the blood. Inuyasha was overwhelmed by it. His sense of smell was stronger than Kouga's. The metallic, pungent scent stuck in his nostrils and Inuyasha had to resort to breathing through his mouth. As he turned the corner, the smell of smoke also assaulted his nose. Inuyasha nearly froze, dumbstruck by the sight in front of him.

He shook it off and immediately set to work on putting himself in between Sadao Higurashi and the man beating him. As he did so, a quick peripheral glance showed him that Kouga was dealing with another man. Inuyasha took a hard blow to the abdomen, grunting as he doubled over. He grit his teeth and retaliated, his fist heading for his assailant's cheek. Just as he swung, the wind shifted and the scent of the man came to him.

' _He's a youkai. This is more than just a random mugging.'_

Registering that he was a youkai, Inuyasha put more force into his punch, grunting in satisfaction when he went down. However, he came up quickly, angrily wiping away the trickle of blood that appeared at the corner of his mouth. Inuyasha's hands immediately went to his side to reach for his gun but met empty air when he realized he left his weapon in his car.

" _Fuck_."

Inuyasha ducked and dodged a blow before circling around him and charging at him, his arm held up before him before he arced it down, flexing his claws to slash at him. His opponent yowled in pain and even in the darkness, with his eyesight, Inuyasha saw three angry marks on his back, quickly becoming a deeper red as blood seeped through the fabric of his jacket.

The cop within Inuyasha came alive suddenly, registering details quickly while Inuyasha's base instincts kept him moving and charging at the assailant.

' _Distressed green jacket.'_

' _Humanoid— ears that mark a full blooded youkai.'_

' _Claws.'_

' _Hood up. Can't see hair color. Need to get a look at that.'_

Inuyasha hissed when a strike slashed through him and he recognized the slippery, sticky sensation of blood trickling.

' _Definitely has claws.'_

"Enough of this bullshit!" he growled through gritted teeth.

Inuyasha lunged forward, his arm reaching back before bursting forward to punch the demon in the face. His head snapped backwards and Inuyasha followed with a second strike, his left fist connecting with his stomach, causing the demon to become winded and wheeze, doubling over as he knelt on the ground. Inuyasha came from behind and roughly pulled the hood back, his blood freezing when he saw his face.

The youkai had fangs. His hair was also shock white, but unlike Inuyasha's, cropped close to his scalp. Inuyasha took a look at his eyes and his stomach dropped. His eyes were gold, much like Inuyasha had expected. Inuyasha's lips curled into a snarl before he delivered another blow, effectively knocking him out. Leaving him on the pavement, Inuyasha ran to where Sadao's prone figure lay. Sadao was face down and Inuyasha turned him over as gently as he could. Sadao moaned in pain, but he didn't open his eyes.

"Goddamn it."

Sadao's face was bloodied and his hair was matted with his own blood. Inuyasha took note of other cuts and bruises on Sadao's hands— superficial compared to the beating his head took. Gingerly lifting him up, Inuyasha slowly shifted his weight so he could carry Sadao more easily.

"Inuyasha! Get out of there! It's going to blow!" Kouga's voice rang through the night.

Smoke entered his nostrils and Inuyasha finally noticed that Sadao's car was completely wrecked. It was plowed into a street pole by the minivan the two assailants were driving. He saw the gas leaking from the two vehicles and the live wire that had come down when Sadao's car went into the pole. The sparks were dancing dangerously close to the pool of gasoline.

Inuyasha looked up and saw Kouga slinging the two thugs over each of his shoulders and running from the scene. Inuyasha cursed under his breath and hugged Sadao closer to him to avoid further jostling him as he ran away from the cars. He and Kouga managed to run about a block before they heard the roar of a flame igniting and the hissing of sparks. They pushed themselves even further before the upcoming blast propelled them forward.

Kouga and the two suspects flew and Kouga managed to turn mid air and land on his feet. The other two bodies landed with twin thuds, still unconscious. Inuyasha had more difficulty maneuvering while cradling Sadao from the blast. He made it so that when they landed, they landed on Inuyasha's back to prevent any further injury to the older man. Inuyasha groaned when he hit the rough concrete, feeling his head scrape against the ground. He fought the momentum that would cause him to roll over onto Sadao and skidded against the asphalt.

Kouga ran over to him and knelt down.

"Inuyasha! You okay? How's Sadao?"

Inuyasha opened his eyes but winced in pain when he tried to lift himself up into a sitting position, the motion setting the nerves in his head on fire. He grunted and lay back down. "Grab Sadao and lay him flat on the ground."

Kouga took his father in law and gently laid him on the pavement, his fingers checking for a pulse. "He's still alive, but his pulse is weak. He's lost so much blood."

"Those fuckers really gave him a beating," Inuyasha grumbled.

He forced himself into an upright position, his hand moving to his side, registering the pain it took to breathe. " _Fuck_. I think I broke a rib."

Kouga moved to help him up but Inuyasha waved him off.

"I'm fine. I'm not a pansy like you. A broken rib never killed no one."

"Yeah I'll make sure to remember not to be a pansy— moaning and wincing in pain over a broken rib." Kouga's eyes fell on the two bodies that lay feet away. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

As he dialed, they both began to hear the sound of sirens coming towards them. Inuyasha squinted at the bright lights. He could make out an ambulance and a patrol car coming towards them. Behind them, a fire truck coming to extinguish the flames caused by the two cars. He got up to his feet and moved towards the patrol car, his movements rough. Two uniformed officers got out of the car and Inuyasha pulled his badge from his belt, flashing it at them.

"Inspectors Takado and Kayasaki here. We responded to the sound of a struggle and found these two beating an older man." He jerked a thumb to the two unconscious men lying haphazardly on the pavement.

"We subdued the perps but the car crash caused an explosion." He gestured once more to the two bodies left lying on the ground. "They're fine. Knocked out before the explosion. Cuff them before putting them in an ambulance. As soon as they're cleared by the doctors at the hospital, get them to the station for booking and interrogation. This is mine and Kayasaki's case— _we_ take the lead. Understand?"

The younger officers nodded back quickly, pulling out handcuffs as they walked away.

Inuyasha looked back and saw paramedics heading for them first. "Hey! Leave them! That guy over there gets immediate treatment!" He strode towards them, gesturing at Sadao and they nodded and ran to him, quickly lifting him onto a gurney.

More sirens added to the chaos surrounding them as more cops came onto the scene. Inuyasha ignored them before walking over to where Kouga hovered over Sadao as paramedics rolled him towards the ambulance. He could hear Kouga's conversation over the phone.

"We're heading to the hospital."

" _The hospital? Are you and Inuyasha hurt?"_

"We're fine, for the most part." Kouga looked over Inuyasha and he amended, "Well at least I am. Inuyasha's pretty banged up." He ignored Inuyasha's glare.

" _Wait, is he alright?"_ Kagome's voice was frantic over the line. _"Souta and I are already on our way. We heard the explosion from here and then and all of the sirens. Why was there an explosion?"_

"Kagome, it's a long story. We need you here, though. There's something you should know… Your father, he was in a car crash and… he's pretty badly hurt."

Inuyasha and Kouga exchanged a look at Kouga's omission of the beating Sadao took.

" _Dad?!"_

"Kagome, he—"

" _Kouga, we're here. They won't let us through!_ "

Inuyasha looked up and at the barricade the other officers had set to keep the crowd away from the scene and the fire. Kagome and Souta were clutching each other and trying to push past the barricade but were held back by an officer. Kouga ran to the barricade and ordered the officer let Kagome and Souta through. Kagome caught sight of Sadao on a gurney and began sobbing, running towards him. Kouga held her back and hugged her tightly, Kagome's hands forming tight fists, clamping onto Kouga as she cried into his chest. Souta stood open mouthed at the sight and Inuyasha made his way to him, tucking his head into his own chest.

"Hey you don't need to see that, okay? Your dad's still alive, he's still here. We just need to get him to the hospital, okay?"

He looked up from the top of Souta's head as the younger boy clutched onto him. Inuyasha looked eyes with Kagome over Kouga's shoulder.

"Kouga, let's get them into the bus to ride with Sadao."

Kouga nodded, leading Kagome to the ambulance but she hesitated.

"Wait. Kouga. You said he needs to go to the hospital, too."

Inuyasha shook his head. "I'll survive. Just a few bruises. Hurry up, you need to get in." He pushed Souta towards the direction of the ambulance where paramedics were waiting for them. "Someone needs to stay here and be in charge. I was here when everything happened. This is our case. I'll be the ones to follow the two suspects to the hospital and then to the station."

"Can't you let someone else guard them? You need help, too!"

"Someone has to stay here, Kagome," Inuyasha reminded her gently.

"I'll do it."

Kagome looked up at Kouga in shock. "Kouga…"

"I'm fine. I don't need to go to the hospital. Inuyasha's right. Someone has to stay here. It's my job." He kissed Kagome on the top of her head. "I'll be there as soon as I can. I just have to deal with this shit first."

"Like hell you are, wolf cub. It's your family. You go take care of it. I'll stay here."

"Dog face, you have a fucking broken rib. Just go the hospital and get it taken care of. As soon as the situation here settles down, I'll go." He rolled his eyes. "I'll even bring you flowers."

"Fuck off."

"Get going, mutt. You're holding everyone up."

Before Inuyasha could retort, Kagome's quiet voice stopped him. "Please, Inuyasha, just come with us. Especially if you're hurt."

She used the same quiet tone as when she had asked him to spend the night following her mother's death. He couldn't refuse.

"Keh!"

Inuyasha trudged towards the ambulance, taking Souta with him to sit in the front cab.

One of the paramedics prevented Inuyasha from getting into the cab after Souta, reaching a hand out to touch Inuyasha. Inuyasha quickly grabbed his hand and growled, "What do you think you're doing?"

"You've obviously sustained injuries to the head. I'm checking to see if you might have a concussion or other signs of internal injury."

"Well isn't that why I'm going to the hospital? To get everything checked out?"

"It'd be better if you sit in the back so you can be examined more easily."

Inuyasha released his hand and made his way around the ambulance, hopping into the back and sitting on the bench, folding his arms across his chest. When the paramedic moved towards him, Inuyasha snarled, "Why are you worrying about me? Fix _him_!" gesturing towards Sadao.

"We've stabilized him and we're getting ready to move. I should really check on you."

" _He's_ your first priority. Try and touch me and I'll arrest you for assaulting a cop."

Watching the entire exchange, Kagome sighed. "Well I knew that this wasn't going to be easy."

Kouga cupped Kagome's cheek gently. "Go be with your dad. I'll be there soon," he promised. He kissed her quickly. "And make sure Inuyasha doesn't blow up at the paramedics."

Kagome smiled softly at him and kissed him once more before turning to hurry into the ambulance. He held her arm and she looked back at him quizzically.

"I love you, Kagome."

Kouga's arctic eyes were staring into her own and Kagome could see everything in them. Love… but also sadness and fear.

"I love you, too, Kouga." She furrowed her brow. "Is something wrong?"

A pointed silence passed between them before Kouga let go of her arm. "It's nothing. Take care of your family."

Inuyasha lifted his head when Kagome came into the back of the ambulance, the paramedic shutting the doors behind her. The vehicle lurched as it began racing to the hospital, the paramedic driving speaking into a radio.

"Two patients. One in critical condition. The other, an Inspector Takado who pulled him from the scene of the accident. Critical patient victim of a vehicular accident followed by assault. Both subjected to an explosion."

Kagome bypassed the space on the bench for her to sit on, preferring to kneel by the gurney, clasping one of her father's hands.

As the paramedic was about to instruct her to take a seat, Inuyasha moaned dramatically, beckoning the paramedic urgently. He clutched at the back of his head.

"I have the worst fucking headache. I think it's because I hit my head after the blast."

The paramedic focused his attention on Inuyasha, pulling out a flashlight and pulling at Inuyasha's lids, checking his pupils.

"Well your pupils are responding well. You may have a concussion but there's not much I can do until we get to the hospital."

"Then can you take a look at my ribs? I think one of them may be broken."

As the paramedic hunched over to probe at Inuyasha's ribcage, prompting the hanyou to wince and hiss in response, Inuyasha made eye contact with a teary eyed Kagome who smiled at him and mouthed her thanks.

Inuyasha nodded in return before hissing once more and glaring down at the paramedic.

Sadao began stirring and his eyes blearily opened before he screwed them shut.

"Dad," Kagome began softly, "Are you okay?" Her voice was thick and she sniffled as she squeezed his hand.

"I'm alive…. Thanks to Inuyasha."

Inuyasha's ears twitched at the sound of his name. He tried not to listen in to the conversation, but his curiosity got the better of him.

"Yeah, Dad, I know. He stopped whoever tried to mug you."

Sadao's eyes widened and he tried to shake his head and take off the oxygen mask.

"Wasn't…"

Kagome tried to still his hands and keep the mask on. "Shh, Dad, it's ok."

"Wasn't… _wasn't_ …" The beeping of his monitor increased as his heart rate began to climb.

"Dad, it's ok. Please calm down."

He grabbed Kagome's hands and stared at her with wide eyes. " _Wasn't_ … mugging."

"Ma'am, please, sit on the bench."

The paramedic gently pushed Kagome towards the bench, seating her down next to Inuyasha, before administering something into Sadao's IV.

"What are you doing?" Kagome asked, her voice slightly hysterical.

"It's just something to get your father to calm down until we get to the hospital. I don't want his heart rate rising and him going into shock." He glanced at Inuyasha. "Inspector Takado, you should also take it easy. Your rib is broken and I'm positive you might have a concussion. And don't think I didn't notice that nasty slash you're trying to hide. That's going to need stitches."

"Keh! It'll heal within the hour. As far as I'm concerned, I just have to make sure that the rib is set correctly before it starts healing."

The paramedic scoffed and continued to monitor Sadao.

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha and put a hand over one of his. "Thank you, Inuyasha. I don't know what I would've done if I lost him."

Inuyasha kept his eyes on her hand.

"Inuyasha, what happened?"

"Kagome, don't concern yourself with this. Kouga and I are going to take care of it."

"It was more than a mugging? Were they—" her voice broke and she pressed her lips together. "Were they going to murder him?"

Sighing, Inuyasha closed his eyes. "It looked like it."

A muffled sob escaped Kagome's lips and Inuyasha pulled her to him.

"Hey, quit crying. We got him and we got the fuckers responsible."

"They won't stop until he's dead, Inuyasha," she cried.

"And I won't stop until they are," he promised.

" _What happened_?"

Inuyasha debated whether he should tell her. He was close to refusing when he locked eyes with her and she mouthed the word 'please'.

"Kouga and I started running after we heard a crash and what sounded like yelling, followed by what sounded like a fight. Kouga beat me there— you know he's always been faster. When I got there, Kouga was busy dealing with one of the perps, which left the other one free to continue assaulting your father."

He hated how clinical he sounded but he knew that this was the only way to explain the situation to her without letting any emotions get involved.

"I immediately tried to get in between him and Sadao. We fought until I knocked him out and he wasn't a threat anymore. Then, I proceeded to check on your father and carried him, intending to bring him back to your place. I didn't notice… the car crash— they had t-boned your father's car into a pole. Gas was leaking and there was a live wire from the fallen pole. Kouga yelled at me to start running and we were running. We got as far as a block before the blast blew us off of our feet. I didn't want to let go of your father or fall on him so I landed on my back but I think he still got pretty jostled."

"Inuyasha, I don't even know how to begin to thank you…"

"You don't need to."

"Why would someone want to kill my father?"

"Those bastards… they were youkai. I only got a good look at one of them but he was an inuyoukai. The other one probably was, too."

Kagome frowned at him and squeezed his hand. "Inuyasha, you have nothing to feel guilty about—"

Inuyasha pulled his hand away. "Who said I felt guilty?!"

"No one. But I know you. And you're nothing like them, Inuyasha. I can differentiate between you and those men who attacked my father."

Kagome looked towards the front of the ambulance when it stilled. The back doors opened and white-coated men in scrubs aided the paramedic in lifting the gurney to the ground before wheeling it towards the hospital's trauma center.

"Status?"

"Patient received acute trauma stemming from a car crash and further blunt force trauma to the head from assault. Level of mobility is unknown. He was moved. Unconscious at the scene. Came back for a little bit during transit but needed to be sedated or else risk him going into shock."

Kagome, Inuyasha, and Souta rushed out of the ambulance to follow them inside. The three of them immediately hurried after Sadao, but the other doctor stopped them.

"Hold on. You need to get checked out," he said, looking at Inuyasha.

"I'm fine," Inuyasha growled. "Now get out of my way."

"Sir, I'm afraid I can't let you go on without receiving treatment."

"I waive my fucking rights to be treated— just let me go!"

"That's not our policy, inspector. Please, nurse, take the inspector to get a CT scan for his head and an additional x-ray for his torso."

"I don't need any of that! I just need someone to set this rib and it'll heal within an hour!"

"Sir, I'm going to ask you to lower your voice."

Glaring at him, Inuyasha spoke lowly, a dangerous edge to his voice, "How's this, doc? Now listen to me, I'm not going to get any of your fucking tests." He smirked satisfactorily when the doctor stared at him in fear.

"I… I have to insist that you take the tests, sir. I assure you that you'll be updated of Higurashi-san's status as soon as any news comes through."

Inuyasha glanced at Kagome and Souta, staring at him apprehensively. He sighed. "You two go ahead. I'll catch up later."

Kagome stepped towards him. "Inuyasha…"

"No, Kagome, go to your dad. I'll be fine. It won't take too long." He turned his golden gaze towards the doctor. "Will it, doc?" he asked coolly.

"Not long at all, provided you cooperate with our staff."

"Which he will," Kagome promised, raising her eyebrows at Inuyasha, much like a mother to a young child. She walked up to him and reminded him, "The more you cooperate, the sooner you'll be done. And the sooner you can…" Kagome bit her lip. What was she going to say? "Come back." _To me_.

They held each other's gaze for a second too long before Kagome looked back at the doctor, flustered. "How long will they take?"

"Shouldn't be more than a half an hour."

"Great." Inuyasha crossed his arms, instantly grimacing and undoing his arms when the motion brushed against his rib. "Can we get this over with then?"

Kagome hesitated. "I don't want to leave you alone."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at her. "I'm a big boy, Kagome. I'm fine. Go check on your dad."

"I'll stay with him," Souta volunteered. "I don't want to see Dad like that. I'd rather stay with Inuyasha."

Kagome placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure, Souta?"

"Yeah. Besides, I think Inuyasha needs someone to hold his hand."

"Get over here, you runt." Inuyasha reached forward and wrapped his arm loosely around Souta's head, pressing the knuckles of his other hand into his scalp.

"What did I tell you, Kagome? Look at how he can't keep his hands off of me!"

Kagome couldn't help but smile. "Behave you two."

"Ma'am, you have my promise that your father and husband are in good hands and will receive the best possible care."

Kagome and Inuyasha froze, a bright scarlet coloring both of their faces.

"Oh he's not my husband. He's a close family friend."

"I'm sorry. I just assumed."

"It's fine," Kagome quipped. "Uhm, where can I wait for my father?"

"Kagome!" Kouga strode in through the hospital's automatic door, slightly out of breath. "How's your father? Is he okay?"

"Doctor, this is my husband, Inspector Kayasaki." The two briefly shook hands.

"How is he?"

"I'm not the physician in charge of Higurashi-san. He's currently in the emergency room where the staff is working to stabilize his condition. I'm here to treat Inspector Takado for his injuries, which he's finally allowed after some convincing from your wife."

"I won't keep you, then."

He nodded at Inuyasha. "Let's get started then." Looking back at Kagome, he added, "A nurse will take you somewhere where you can wait until you can see your father."

"Thank you."

Kouga put an arm around Kagome's shoulders and steered her in the direction a nurse was leading him. Inuyasha watched them walk away, his heart leaping into his throat when he saw Kagome turn her head over her shoulder and lock eyes with him. He couldn't begin walking until she finally looked away and disappeared around the corner with Kouga.


	10. Chapter 10

_Last Time…_

" _How is he?"_

" _I'm not the physician in charge of Higurashi-san. He's currently in the emergency room where the staff is working to stabilize his condition. I'm here to treat Inspector Takado for his injuries, which he's finally allowed after some convincing from your wife."_

" _I won't keep you, then."_

_He nodded at Inuyasha. "Let's get started then." Looking back at Kagome, he added, "A nurse will take you somewhere where you can wait until you can see your father."_

" _Thank you."_

_Kouga put an arm around Kagome's shoulders and steered her in the direction a nurse was leading him. Inuyasha watched them walk away, his heart leaping into his throat when he saw Kagome turn her head over her shoulder and lock eyes with him. He couldn't begin walking until she finally looked away and disappeared around the corner with Kouga._

* * *

Souta looked up at Inuyasha from his seat, eyebrows raised. "Inuyasha, you're making me dizzy with all of your pacing."

Inuyasha huffed and finally sat on the bed provided for him in the exam room, his leg bouncing up and down quickly, causing the paper sheets to wrinkle.

Souta sighed. "Forget it. Go ahead and pace." He rested a cheek on one of his hands.

"This is a fucking waste of my time," Inuyasha muttered. "I mean _you_ could probably set my rib."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Souta deadpanned. "Inuyasha, it's been like three minutes."

"Three minutes too long."

Just then a woman dressed in a nurse's outfit entered, but before she could speak, Inuyasha interrupted.

"Look, I'm not interested in any x-rays or CT scans. I know what's wrong with me. I just need someone to set my rib and some bandages to dress my wounds with, no stitches necessary."

"You're at risk for having a concussion—"

"Keh! I don't have a concussion. I scraped the back of my head, that's all. I can bandage it myself." Inuyasha turned away from her indignantly.

She pursed her lips. "I'll go get the doctor."

With a scoff, Souta shook his head at Inuyasha. "You're a piece of work, you know that right?"

"He is, but for some reason, he still manages to keep our friendship, doesn't he Souta?"

Inuyasha turned back to the door, his mouth slightly agape. "Hell no. There's no way I'm letting you fix me up."

"Aw Inuyasha. I thought we were better friends than that."

Miroku reached for the clipboard left near Inuyasha's bed and skimmed it. He raised his eyebrows. "Damn Inuyasha, you got yourself into a fight and then got caught in an explosion?"

Narrowing his eyes at Miroku, Inuyasha threatened, "Just hurry up and find someone to set this rib."

"Well since you made yourself such a pleasure, no one really wanted to work with you. That's why they sent a lowly resident to you. At least they didn't send an intern." Miroku put down Inuyasha's file, his gaze alighting on Souta. "So Souta, what are you doing here?"

"Holding Inuyasha's hand."

Miroku smiled. "Don't tell me you were involved with the fight," he joked.

Souta frowned. "No… Kagome and I came here in the ambulance with our father."

"Your father?" Miroku's amethyst eyes widened. "Don't tell me that the man they wheeled into trauma is your father." He looked back at Inuyasha. "How's Kagome?"

"She's fine. Kouga's with her while they wait."

"Oh." Miroku looked at Inuyasha with a mixture of sympathy and pity.

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha resisted the urge to slap Miroku. "Oh for Kami's sake… Come on! Stop making this more awkward than it has to be."

"Fine. Have a seat, Inuyasha." Miroku gestured to the bed and Inuyasha plopped himself down onto it, the paper sheets crinkling again.

Miroku shined a small flashlight into each of Inuyasha's eyes as he held them open by lifting the lid with his other hand. He then probed Inuyasha's rib, frowning at one particular spot. "Well that's nasty."

"Feels that way," Inuyasha said through gritted teeth.

"Better take care of this before your accelerated healing makes matters worse."

"Just shut up and set it!"

"I can't do that, Inuyasha. I need an x-ray to see how badly it's broken. If it's a complete break, you may require surgery or the edges can puncture a lung." Miroku walked just outside the door, calling over a nurse. He was whispering quickly with her, but of course, Inuyasha could hear.

"I need you to get Inspector Takado to x-ray as soon as possible after I take care of his other wounds."

"How'd you manage that? He's been biting off the head of everyone else who suggested the same thing."

Miroku chuckled. "Proof that I'm going to be the best doctor this hospital's ever seen," he replied, his voice oozing with charm. He smiled genially as the nurse walked away laughing.

Inuyasha sneered at him, "I'm surprised you didn't ask her out for drinks."

"I'm with Sango." Miroku's face lit up as he told Inuyasha.

"I heard— wouldn't have meant much before."

Miroku shrugged it off. "I was younger. And those girls weren't Sango." He reached into a cabinet, pulling out antiseptic and a roll of bandages. He nodded at the large slash in Inuyasha's side that the other inuyoukai had caused during their fight. "I assume that I don't need to stitch you up."

"Nope."

"I'll just dress it then." He paused awkwardly. "Shirt off, Inuyasha."

Souta guffawed, earning the glare of both Miroku and Inuyasha.

Inuyasha complied, peeling off his jacket and shirt gingerly while Miroku worked. Inuyasha made a face from the sting of antiseptic on the open wound. Miroku let out a low whistle. "Anyone else but you and this would have required fifteen stitches."

"Good thing it happened to me then," Inuyasha retorted dryly.

"I heard that you're Kouga's partner." He saw the look Inuyasha gave him from the corner of his eye and explained, "You know how Sango and Kagome are when they get together."

Inuyasha smirked quickly before it turned into a frown. "Yeah we're partners. I moved back just before winter and I got assigned to Kouga's squad."

"Serendipitous."

"If you say so."

"Can't imagine that it's not awkward," Miroku murmured as he moved to treat the scrapes on the back of Inuyasha's head.

"It isn't. As much as Kouga and I like to be jerks to each other, we _are_ friendly and we work well in the field."

Miroku nodded. "I remember from high school. But you're honestly saying that he doesn't mind you being in close proximity to Kagome?"

Snorting, Inuyasha said, "He invited me to spend the night at their place if I got too drunk to drive home."

Souta shifted in his seat, something that did not go by unnoticed by Inuyasha. He narrowed his eyes at him.

"What's wrong, Souta?"

"It's nothing."

"You have something to say, you might as well say it."

Souta sighed. "I like Kouga. He treats Kagome like a queen and he loves her. But as much as he tries to make her happy… I've noticed how aloof she's been lately." He looked down. "Ever since you came back." He shrugged. "I see it whenever I go over to their place. It's different. Inuyasha, as much as I like Kouga, I don't think it's any secret who my first choice for Kagome would have been."

"I don't think so, Souta. I hurt her pretty badly."

"She loves you more than she was angry at you."

Inuyasha made a face and focused on what Miroku was doing to the back of his head, effectively ignoring Souta.

"Inuyasha…" he pressed on.

"Kid, have they been fighting or something?"

"No. They _seem_ the same." Before Inuyasha could comment, Souta quickly continued, "I said they _seem_ the same, Inuyasha. That doesn't mean they are. There's something off about the way they act around each other. The way Kagome acts around Kouga."

"And you think it's because of me?"

There was a knock at the door and the nurse from earlier peeked her head in. "Excuse me, Dr. Kobayashi? They're ready for Inspector Takado now."

"Thanks. Let's go, Inuyasha. Souta, we'll be back in about ten minutes."

The younger boy nodded silently before sinking into his chair and sulking. Inuyasha sighed and let Miroku go ahead, pausing by Souta. "Your sister's given me more than I could dream to return. There's so much that she deserves but it's too late, Souta. There's nothing I can say or do. If I had the slightest chance, I'd take it in a heartbeat."

Inuyasha put a hand on Souta's shoulder before leaving to follow Miroku. He saw him glancing at him out of the corner of his eye and Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "What?"

"If you ask me, I don't think Souta's that far off."

"No one asked you," Inuyasha grumbled.

* * *

Kagome's gaze never wavered as she focused on her father's face. Sadao was laid on an inclined bed, his eyes closed and his breathing even. They had cleaned up his face so that it was no longer bloodied, but it only made the wounds more visible. Kagome fought to quell the surge of rage that built up inside of her when she thought about the men who had done this to her father. Her hands gripped the bars on the side of the bed so tightly that her knuckles turned alabaster.

Kouga stood behind her and gently loosened her grip on the bar, intertwining her fingers with his. He spoke her name softly, almost reverently.

She sighed and leaned into him. "Why would anyone attack him?"

"Your father's a powerful man, Kagome. His firm's dealing with a lot of dangerous men. I wouldn't be surprised if one of them ordered one of his lackeys to do this."

"My father hasn't stepped into a courtroom in years."

"It's not personal… it's to send a message." Kouga suppressed a growl. "These bastards think that they hold all of the power and they're willing to do anything to prove it."

"Inuyasha said that one of them was an inuyoukai?"

"Both of them were. It's peculiar. We haven't seen any movement from youkai crime organizations. Mostly human ones. It's the first time they've surfaced in a while."

"What does it mean?"

"It means I'm not letting you out of my sight. I'm serious, Kagome. You _and_ Souta. If they went after your father, I wouldn't be surprised if they went after you, too."

"Who's next? You?—" Kagome's voice took a slightly frantic tone "— Inuyasha? Jii-chan?"

"That's not going to happen. I won't let it."

"Everyone I love is a target because of me!"

Kouga tightened his hold on her. "Kagome, stop blaming yourself. None of this is your fault."

"Kouga, I don't think I could handle it if anyone else had to be sent to the hospital or worse." She turned in his arms and buried her face in his chest.

"You'll never have to deal with that."

"Some of the most important people in my life are already here, Kouga."

Kouga pulled away from her and Kagome looked up at him, puzzled.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Kagome, there's nothing going on between you and him is there?"

Kagome recoiled, backing out of his arms, her expression hurt as if he had slapped her. "Are you seriously asking me that? You think I'm capable of something like that?"

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about, Kagome! I was there when you guys dated when we were younger. I witnessed for myself what you two were like."

"You didn't answer my question, Kouga."

"You didn't answer mine, either."

"Of course there's nothing going on between Inuyasha and me! Yes, we have history. But that's all it is— that's all it _can_ be. He's one of my friends, Kouga. He was there for me when my mother died. Why wouldn't I care about his welfare?" She glared at her husband. "Do you really think I'm capable of something like that when cheating was what hurt me the most? That betrayal of trust? You honestly think I would inflict that on someone else?"

"No!" Kouga averted his eyes, staring at the tiled floor. "I… I overheard what that doctor said and how he thought you and Inuyasha were married."

Kagome's face contorted even more as the anger rose. "Are you serious? It's an honest mistake! I corrected him immediately so what's the problem? I think the real issue is that you just don't trust me, Kouga!"

"He obviously saw something that led him to think that the two of you were together."

"I can't believe you're willing to act this petty," she spat back acerbically. "You don't trust your wife? You don't trust your partner? Inuyasha's your goddamn partner, Kouga! He's your lifeline when you're working and you know as well as I do that he would put his life on the line for you."

"Kagome, he wouldn't do that for my sake and you know it. He'd do it for yours."

"Is that really your opinion of your partner and friend? Because before any of us got involved romantically, we were all _friends_ first. You and Inuyasha have always been competitive but you've never acted vindictively towards each other. You know, I can't _believe_ that you would doubt his friendship. Inuyasha's not that kind of man." Kagome's shoulders sagged. "I don't understand where any of this is coming from."

Kouga shrugged, his gaze still not quite on her. "You've been distant ever since he came back."

"We both know that has nothing to do with him. Everyone in the city's been swamped with work the past few months. You of all people know that. The fact that we are in a hospital following a freaking _explosion_ is proof of that."

Kouga's eyebrow arched as she spoke. The coincidence between the two events was too great for him to ignore. But he'd file that away for another day.

"You didn't take my last name."

Kagome clicked her tongue at him. "We both know that my father wouldn't allow it. My last name is well known… and probably what got him into this damn mess!"

"Why won't you become my mate?"

Pain splashed across her features once more. "That's never been an issue," she whispered.

"It's still not," he assured her. Kouga felt guilty but his blue eyes appraised her. "But humor me."

"I… I'm just not—"

Kagome became distracted by the sound of her father stirring. She stood over her father, gently placing a hand on the top of his head while taking one of his hands with her other one. Sadao groaned as he attempted to open his eyes, his face contorting into a painful grimace instead. Kouga sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets, knowing that their conversation was over.

"Dad?"

"Kagome… where am I?"

Kagome frowned. "You don't remember?"

"I… it's very confusing!" Sadao yelled, frustrated.

"Dad it's okay. You're at Todai— the University of Tokyo's Hospital."

"The hospital…? Why, I… my head hurts, Kagome."

"It's okay, Dad. I'll get the nurse."

"No, no, please don't leave."

"I'll get one." Kouga squeezed Kagome's shoulder reassuringly and although she was still angry with him, she smiled at him gratefully. Kouga's face brightened slightly at her smile and hurried out of the room to find a nurse.

"Kagome, what… I remember getting hit in the car and then Inuyasha carried me."

Her eyes downcast, Kagome gently smiled at her father. Then she sighed and explained, "You got hit by the car and then I guess you started arguing with whoever hit you. It escalated into a fight which Inuyasha and Kouga responded to. Inuyasha managed to get in between you and one of your attackers."

Sadao closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.

"There was gas leaking from the cars and the crash caused a street pole to collapse and there was a live wire… you had gone unconscious so Inuyasha ran with you to get away from the blast."

His eyes remaining closed, Sadao murmured, "I owe him even more, now. I owe him more than my life."

"Dad?"

Seemingly not hearing Kagome, Sadao continued, "Such a good man. So grateful to Inuyasha."

"Dad?" Kagome tried again.

Sadao opened his eyes and smiled sadly at her. "He's such a good man, Kagome."

"I know he is, Dad."

"Your mother loved him, you know. Knew how happy he made you."

"Mama loved everyone."

Sadao nodded sadly, his eyes closing once more. "I miss your mother so much, Kagome. There's not a day that goes by where I don't miss her." He sighed and let out a small moan before drifting off into sleep once more.

Kouga returned with a young woman trailing after him. She cast a small, supportive at Kagome before briskly moving towards the various machines set up by Sadao's bedside. Her brow furrowed as she looked over the machines and checked their results. Pulling off the stethoscope from around her neck, she listened to Sadao's heartbeat and lungs. A small piece of her auburn bangs fell into her eyes as she leaned over to do so.

"He went back to sleep, huh?" she asked quietly.

Kagome nodded. "Yeah, he was kind of talking nonsense before he did, though. He couldn't remember the accident." She looked from him to the nurse. "He said he had a headache?"

The nurse nodded. "Perfectly normal, considering what happened to him. If you'd like, we can bump up his dosage of pain medication." She turned to adjust the settings on a machine that his IV was connected to. "I've been told that you're still not aware of your father's condition?"

"No, not yet. After my father was taken to the ICU, his physician had another urgent case to attend to."

"Well your father's suffered heavy blunt force trauma. There was some internal injury to his abdomen that could be attributed to either the car crash or the following assault. He has a concussion. It's obvious that he banged up his head pretty badly. A broken wrist… we haven't gotten his x-rays or other scans in yet so we can't rule out any internal injury yet."

"Oh Kami…"

The nurse smiled warmly at her. "I'm sure your father will be fine, Higurashi-san."

"Kagome."

"Kagome. You can call me Ayame." Ayame glanced down at her watch. "Your father's doctor should be free by now. I'll go find him and see if he got your father's results back. Then I'll send him in to see you."

"Thank you," Kagome and Kouga chorused.

Ayame left them and Kagome sighed again looking at her father.

"You've been sighing too often."

"Tell me about it," she replied dryly.

"Kagome you can go to sleep. No one's going to hurt him now."

Kagome pursed her lips and then it was Kouga's turn to sigh. He picked up his wife, ignoring her protests, and softly placed her on the armchair on the other side of the room. He gently restrained her, pushing her back down when she tried to get up.

"Sleep."

"I can't."

Kouga knelt down in front of her and made a face at her. "Try harder."

"Kouga, how can I possibly go to sleep?"

"You're exhausted, Kagome. Your dad's asleep. I'll wake you up when he's awake or the doctor comes in, whichever comes first."

"Promise?"

"I promise." He leaned forward and softly pressed his lips to hers. "Now sleep, woman."

Kagome looked at him warily, but nodded, curling up into a small ball in the armchair and closing her eyes.

Kouga leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. He remained in this position for the next forty-five minutes, his glance alternating between his sleeping wife and sleeping father-in-law. His gaze lingered on Kagome's sleeping form. He knelt by her and lightly brushed her bangs off of her face. Taking a deep breath, he frowned. Kagome's scent was always like he remembered— fresh peonies with a touch of the sweetness of honey. The lack of his own scent mixed with hers was a big blow to his ego and to his heart. Kouga continued to stare at Kagome's face, hoping that by searching it, he'd figure out why she refused to bind herself to him.

"Excuse me, sir?"

Ayame's soft voice got Kouga's attention and he was surprised he didn't notice her walk into the room earlier. He got to his feet and stared at her expectantly. She smiled apologetically at him and gestured to Kagome.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I need to ask you to wake up your wife. There's some paperwork that she needs to look over regarding Higurashi-san's hospitalization."

Kouga sighed. "And it can't wait?"

Ayame bit her lower lip and shook her head.

Rolling his eyes, he leaned over Kagome, shaking her shoulder gently. "Kagome," he whispered gently, "The nurse needs you to deal with some paperwork for your dad."

Kagome groggily opened her eyes and sat up, her palm rubbing over her bleary eyes. "Ok," she murmured. She yawned and accepted Kouga's hand to help her up. As she stood, she heard some of her joints crack and she groaned. "I'm getting too old."

"You're perfect. Now hurry up. I'll stay here with your dad." Kouga accepted the quick kiss from Kagome before she left the room with Ayame.

He saw their shadows stop just outside the door and a new voice talking to them.

"Higurashi-san, I have some people who'd like to see your father. I've informed them that you wouldn't be taking any visitors, but they insisted."

"Oh no, they're family. They're welcome to come in."

* * *

Inuyasha winced and he fought not to curse at Miroku again. He had already cursed him to the depths of hell and beyond in the past three minutes. He sucked in another gasp of air as Miroku pressed against his torso, wrapping the bandage one last time before securing it in place. Inuyasha let out a sigh of relief but quickly glared at Miroku when Miroku smiled apologetically at him.

"Why the fuck are you looking at me like that?"

"I'm not exactly done…"

"You're not done?" Inuyasha asked, a dangerous edge to his voice.

Miroku held up an elastic band. "We just have to fit this rib belt over you and then you're all set," he said, chipper.

"You're telling me that these bandages aren't enough?"

"Unfortunately, no. You're lucky, Inuyasha. You saw the results of your x-ray. Anyone else and I would have insisted on surgery to help fix up that rib."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Just get the damn thing on." He raised his arms once more so that Miroku could fasten the belt.

"Souta, can you hold this edge?"

Miroku held out one end of the belt at one side of Inuyasha's torso. Souta held it in place as Miroku wrapped the belt around Inuyasha, the elastic fabric stretching but not enough that it didn't compress Inuyasha's torso when Miroku fastened the two ends together. Inuyasha pursed his lips in an effort to hold in the groan that threatened to come out with the pain.

"Have we finally finished torturing me?" he asked, his voice tight.

"You're good to go, Inuyasha. I don't recommend that you do any strenuous activity for the next twelve hours. In all probability, by then, you'll be healed."

"Keh! I'll be sleeping."

Miroku raised a dark eyebrow at him. "Most likely at your desk at the station."

Inuyasha grunted his response and glanced at Souta and back at Miroku. "Can we go see Sadao now?"

"Public visiting hours ended a while ago. I'm sure Souta would be able to go, but I'm sorry, I don't know whether you'd be able to, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha nodded understandingly. "That's fine. I should probably be on my way to the station. You said that the two bastards responsible for this are still unconscious right?"

"And under watch by armed officers."

"Then I guess I'm not needed here anymore." Inuyasha jumped off of the bed, shrugging on his jacket. "Come on, kid." He reached an arm out to usher Souta out of the room.

Souta jerked away from his touch. "Inuyasha, you can't leave yet."

Inuyasha groaned in exasperation. "You heard Miroku. What am I going to do for the next eight hours while I wait for it to be visiting hours? I'm better off getting some work done."

"You're the one who saved my dad's life! He'd want to see you."

"Kid…"

"I'm not a goddamn little kid anymore, Inuyasha!"

Miroku coughed loudly, getting both of their attention. "I could send someone to talk to Sadao's nurse and see if she'd let Inuyasha in."

"Miroku, that's not necessary."

"Maybe not for you, Inuyasha, but it seems to be important to Souta."

Growling in frustration, Inuyasha pushed past them. "Fine! Hurry up though so I can get out of this fucking hospital sooner."

Miroku and Souta shared a fist bump and a grin as they trailed after the grumbling hanyou. Miroku took the lead and led them to the nurse's station where he asked one of the nurses to find Sadao Higurashi's nurse

"Higurashi-san's nurse?" She browsed through the numerous files on the desk to find Sadao's and the nurse listed. "You're looking for Yorozoku-chan."

"Yorozoku? How come I've never met her before?"

The nurse cast him a snide glare. "Probably because she heard the other nurses' rumours of your lechery."

"Hey! I'm happily in a long-term relationship with my girlfriend!"

"Bless her soul for dealing with you."

Inuyasha guffawed with pure pleasure at the exchange and Miroku blushed.

"Can you please tell me where Yorozoku-san is?"

"She should be checking on another patient." The nurse looked around and pointed at a room. "In there."

"Thank you for your help. It's deeply appreciated."

She raised an eyebrow at him skeptically and Miroku nervously chuckled as he returned to Inuyasha and Souta.

"I'll go ask the nurse if we can visit."

"I _heard_ , Miroku." Inuyasha gestured to the triangular appendages perched on the top of his head. "Just hurry up." He scoffed as he watched Miroku enter another room. Inuyasha nudged Souta with his shoulder. "You need anything?"

Souta shook his head. "I just need to see my dad."

Miroku came back, a grin on his face. "She said she'd have to go ask Sadao's daughter first, but obviously, Kagome's going to agree. She just left to go ask her. Come on, I know where Sadao's room is."

As they approached the hospital room, Inuyasha was able to pick up Kagome's voice as she talked to the nurse.

"Higurashi-san, I have some people who'd like to see your father. I've informed them that you wouldn't be taking any visitors, but they insisted."

"Oh no, they're family. They're welcome to come in."

"You stay here then, Kagome. I can just bring the paperwork to you."

Inuyasha frowned. There was something familiar about the nurse's voice but he couldn't place her. By the time they reached the door, however, both she and Kagome were gone.

Miroku opened the door and held it open for Inuyasha and Souta to enter first. Souta immediately ran to his father's side. Sadao was groaning softly as he slept.

"Is he okay?"

"He will be," Kagome answered. She snuck a glimpse at Inuyasha from the corner of her eye before she leveled her gaze back at Souta. "How are you, Inuyasha?"

Miroku closed the door behind him as he entered. "As his physician, I am convinced that he will make a full recovery."

Kagome let out a small cry of happiness as she hugged Miroku, who rubbed her back comfortingly. Kagome frowned when she felt his hand travel lower. Inuyasha noticed and scowled.

"Try it, and my best friend will suddenly be single again."

"Damn right," Kouga muttered.

Miroku held up his palms and laughed sheepishly. "How are you holding up, Lady Kagome?"

Kagome couldn't help but shake her head and smile at his old nickname for her. "As best as can be expected. The doctor should be coming in soon to tell us how long Dad's going to have to stay here. I'm guessing it's probably going to be a long time?"

Miroku stared at Kagome's father, scrutinizing his condition and the clipboard attached to the foot of Sadao's bed, detailing his injuries. "It would appear so, unfortunately."

The door opened and Ayame walked in, a clipboard and some papers in her hand. "Kagome, here's the paperwork I was talk— Inuyasha!"

Ayame's green eyes widened in shock and everything in her hands fell to the floor in a flutter and clattered noisily as her body went slack. Kagome frowned at her in concern and followed her gaze to Inuyasha, whose gold orbs were wide with surprise as well.

"Ayame," he mumbled, stunned.

"Do you two know each other?" Kagome looked between the two perplexedly.

Kagome looked back at Inuyasha. He was no longer staring at Ayame but looked at Kagome, his eyes forlorn and his shoulders slumped, ashamed. Kagome's eyes widened in shock and she took in a sharp inhale of air.

Inuyasha's blood turned into ice when he saw the realization dawn on her face, quickly followed by hurt and betrayal, as fresh as when she first found out he had cheated on her.


	11. Chapter 11

_Last Time…_

_The door opened and Ayame walked in, a clipboard and some papers in her hand. "Kagome, here's the paperwork I was talk— Inuyasha!"_

_Ayame's green eyes widened in shock and everything in her hands fell to the floor in a flutter and clattered noisily as her body went slack. Kagome frowned at her in concern and followed her gaze to Inuyasha, whose gold orbs were wide with surprise as well._

" _Ayame," he mumbled, stunned._

" _Do you two know each other?" Kagome looked between the two perplexedly._

_Kagome looked back at Inuyasha. He was no longer staring at Ayame but looked at Kagome, his eyes forlorn and his shoulders slumped, ashamed. Kagome's eyes widened in shock and she took in a sharp inhale of air._

_Inuyasha's blood turned into ice when he saw the realization dawn on her face, quickly followed by hurt and betrayal, as fresh as when she first found out he had cheated on her._

* * *

_Eighteen years ago…_

Two young children, no more than six or seven years old, laughed as they chased each other around the derelict playground. The small girl growled playfully before leaping onto the back of the slightly taller boy, the two comically falling over onto the concrete laughing.

"Ayame! Get your fat butt off of me!" the boy yelled.

The girl harrumphed before rolling off of his back and holding a hand out to help him out, a small flush on her cheeks, slightly redder than her auburn hair. "You really shouldn't be so mean to me, Inuyasha. I'm your only friend."

"Keh!"

Inuyasha ignored her hand and got up by himself, pointedly avoiding looking at her while he crossed his arms. "You're not my only friend, Ayame."

Ayame narrowed her green eyes at him, putting her hands on her hips. "Your mother doesn't count," she sneered.

Ignoring her, Inuyasha walked over to where the two had left their backpacks. He hooked a strap over one shoulder and began walking. Ayame frowned and hurriedly grabbed her own bag and put on the two straps before running to catch up to Inuyasha. She looked at him slyly from the corner of the eye, noting the angry pout on his face.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha."

"Keh!"

She sighed and looked down at her feet as they walked from the empty school playground back to the apartment complex where they both lived. "I didn't mean it. I mean, you're my only friend, too."

Inuyasha mumbled something back but she didn't catch it.

Ayame frowned. "What was that? Inuyasha, I didn't even hear that with my hearing." She gestured to the pointed hers on either side of her head, hidden beneath the thick pigtails she had her hair in.

Having to repeat himself put Inuyasha out even more. His eyebrows coming together, he repeated, "I'm sorry for calling you fat."

"Really?"

Inuyasha scowled at her in disbelief before looking forward again. "Well, duh! Look at you! You're skinny… like a chicken's legs."

With a sigh, Ayame deadpanned, "Thanks, Inuyasha." She pursed her lips and after another minute of silence, she continued, "You know, having your mom as your only friend isn't a bad thing. Especially with your mom. She's so pretty and nice."

Inuyasha looked at her out of the corner of his eyes, suspicious as to where she was going with her new topic of conversation. "Yeah, I guess," he mumbled.

"At least you know your mom."

Inuyasha stopped walking and turned towards her, but Ayame was still looking down at her feet, her face hidden in the shadows of her thick bangs. She kept walking and he shuffled uncomfortably before he caught up with her again.

Ayame never had the chance to know her parents, he knew that. When he and his mother had first moved into the cheap apartment complex, Izayoi was delighted to see the little girl that lived just a few floors below them who happened to be remarkably close to Inuyasha's age. After Ayame and Inuyasha's first meeting in the apartment complex's small courtyard, she had asked the little girl to meet her parents, but to her shock, Ayame nearly burst into tears. When she dropped off the near hysterical girl at her apartment, an elderly man opened the door and welcomed them in.

Ayame's mother was a troubled young woman. She had run away from home and Ayame's grandparents never heard from her or knew of her fate until nearly a decade ago when a bassinet with a sleeping baby was dropped off in front of their door. There was a note from Ayame's mother and the note detailed how she knew that Ayame would have a better life with her grandparents. The man's wife, or mate, as he introduced himself as a wolf youkai to Izayoi, had passed away a little more than a year ago. As much as she loved her mate and granddaughter, the grief of losing her only child had broken her heart. The old man didn't follow his mate in death because of his desire to raise Ayame.

"At least you still got your old man," Inuyasha said. "And he's alright, if you ask me. Helps out me and my mom even though I'm a hanyou."

Smiling affectionately at the mention of her grandfather, Ayame lifted her head and looked back at Inuyasha before blushing and then back in front of her.

"I guess we're two of a kind then."

"Keh, suit yourself. Ain't nobody out there like me!" Inuyasha retorted, referring to the fact that Ayame was full-blooded and he wasn't.

Rolling her eyes, Ayame elbowed Inuyasha and gasped when he elbowed her back. "Baka."

Her insult had no effect on Inuyasha. She rolled her eyes again and shrugged. "You know that's not what I meant. Face it Inuyasha, you and I, we're stuck together."

They rounded the corner, coming up to the apartment complex where they lived. They passed through the rickety gate, closing it behind them even though they both knew that it couldn't keep out anything, and then walked up the three flights of stairs to where Ayame lived. Inuyasha and Ayame hesitated awkwardly and Ayame smiled at him.

"I'll see you tomorrow to walk to school together?"

"Keh, sure," he grumbled before leaping up the staircase to the small studio he shared with his mom.

Ayame blinked at him before smiling once more to herself. She entered her apartment and found her grandfather serenely tending to the small bonsai tree they kept on the windowsill. Hearing his granddaughter enter, he turned to let her hug him in greeting.

"Sorry I'm late, jii-chan. Inuyasha and I ended up playing at the playground after school."

"Ah, so that's where you've been." He settled down into a chair around the dining table while Ayame put her backpack in her room before preparing a cup of tea for her grandfather like she always did after school.

"Ever since he moved in, the two of you have been inseparable."

Ayame shrugged. "He's the only kid around my age who lives here, jii-chan. And we go to the same school so it's just easy to play with him."

She sat down across from him, munching on chocolate covered pretzel sticks.

"Don't eat too much of those or you'll spoil your dinner."

"Yes, jii-chan."

Ayame's grandfather took on a knowing smile. "You're sure that you don't have a little crush on that boy?"

Ayame blinked rapidly, her cheeks taking on a flush that neared the color of her hair. This only made her grandfather chuckle and Ayame slumped down in her chair, whining, "Jii-chan!"

* * *

_Ten years ago…_

"Happy birthday!"

Ayame happily hurried across the school's cafeteria to sit down next to Inuyasha at their usual table. She didn't register the look on his face as she reached into her backpack to pull out a small gift bag with delicate tissue paper sticking out of the top. Ayame faltered when she turned to hand it to him, noting his expression, and she placed it on the table.

"Inuyasha? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," he grumbled.

"Of course something's wrong. You're grumbling," she pointed out. "But it's okay— I have something that will make you feel much better."

Reaching for her gift again, she was interrupted when Inuyasha threw something onto the table. Ayame looked up at him, but his gaze was trained on the unassuming, seemingly harmless envelope. Ayame began to reach for it, hesitating only to look at Inuyasha for permission. He scoffed and shrugged and Ayame took the envelope in her hands, peering inside and seeing a new credit card along with a greeting card. She didn't read the card, but read the signature.

"From your father?"

Inuyasha snorted. "Yeah, along with a new bike, some new clothes, that new video game console and a bunch of other shit I ain't interested in."

"Inuyasha…"

"Like I really want whatever shit his money can buy. What I want is for him to stop dicking around and just divorce his wife and get on with my mom," he growled. His fist slammed against the table and Ayame jumped.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"It's okay." She bit her lip before smiling and asking, "What time are you guys supposed to have dinner tonight?" Ayame hoped it was early— the latest she could get a reservation at the restaurant was still relatively early.

"Dinner's canceled. Says he has a meeting."

"Inuyasha, I'm sure it was really important… Here, look, I've got something…"

Trying to hand him her gift again, Ayame frowned when Inuyasha abruptly stood up and began to gather his things. She knew what would happen next. It happened every time there was something new with his father. Inuyasha usually never stayed at school past lunch and she never bothered asking him where he spent the rest of his time before he went home when his mother expected him.

While zipping up his backpack, Inuyasha stopped to stare at the small gift-wrapped box inside that his mother must have snuck in.

"Fuck, there's another one."

He grabbed the tiny box and carelessly tossed it onto the table before slinging his bag over his shoulder and calling out, "I'll see you later, Ayame."

"Wait! Inuyasha, don't you want to open it?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Just drop it, Ayame! Leave it for someone else to take."

"Why are you so upset? You usually open the gifts at least."

"Because I'm sick and tired of the old man's shit. It's been the same thing for the past fourteen years and I've had enough. Always an expensive gift because he can't afford to come to a measly dinner that my mom spends all day preparing for. Says he's got some bullshit meeting with his lawyer over the divorce but that hag of his isn't ever gonna let him go through with it so I don't know why he bothers."

Ayame frowned but put the box, along with the opened envelope, in her gift bag and ran to catch up with him. "Inuyasha! Inuyasha! Wait!"

She ran in front of him, blocking his path and ignoring the glare he gave her. "Listen to me for a minute, will you? I know you're gonna ditch for the rest of the day but can you please meet me here after school?"

Inuyasha opened his mouth but Ayame shook her head. "Just… just be here, okay? It's important."

"Keh! I'll be here if I want to be here, Ayame."

Inuyasha strode past her and she watched him walk through the campus' front gate and around the corner, his tall frame and shock of white hair still singling him out, even in the crowd of people out for a lunch break. Ayame frowned at the bag she held in her hands and blinked at the tears forming.

"Baka," she hissed before running back inside.

The rest of the school day passed by without any real differentiation between classes or events for Ayame. She was too distracted by a boy who didn't even care to think about how anyone else might worry about him. She contemplated telling everyone she invited that dinner would be canceled, but she figured that everyone would want to meet up anyway. She decided to call the restaurant and make the reservation earlier in that case since she didn't want everyone waiting for someone who might not show up. With the slight hope that Inuyasha would show up, Ayame slowed her steps as she approached the front gate of the school, wondering if she should even bother waiting for Inuyasha or whether she should just go straight to the restaurant.

"Oi! You plan on taking forever?"

Ayame gasped and grinned at the grumpy looking hanyou leaning against the gate.

"Come on! What's with the shock and awe? You asked me to be here so I'm here."

Unable to contain herself, Ayame hugged him and Inuyasha stiffened, waiting until she released him, a pink flush on his cheeks.

"Girls… embarrassing as hell."

Punching him playfully, Ayame giggled and the two began walking.

"Since you're in a better mood, maybe you'll finally listen to me." Ayame reached behind her to pull her bag to the front and dig out the gift. "I know it's not much but I hope you'll like it… or at least have the decency to pretend you do," she laughed. She looked up and found herself alone. "Inuyasha?"

Turning around, she saw that she and Inuyasha had veered off into different directions, nearly on the opposite ends of the block already.

"Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha whirled around, confusion evident on his face and he stared at her like _she_ was crazy.

"Ayame, what the fuck are you doing there? Have you forgotten where we live?"

"Inuyasha, I can't believe you!" Ayame screamed, near hysterics.

Inuyasha's gold eyes widened in alarm and he ran across the street, ignoring the honks and yells from the drivers. He hovered his hands above her shoulders, unsure how to stop her.

"Come on, Ayame, you know I'm not any good at this. What's the matter with you? What are you so upset about? I came back to school _after ditching_ to fucking walk you back home!"

Ayame pushed him away. "You!" she yelled, pointing a finger at him. "You're such a jerk. You've been completely ignoring me all day and you won't let me give you your gift!" Ayame threw the gift at him forcefully and Inuyasha clumsily caught it, looking between it and her.

Continuing her tirade, Ayame advanced towards the startled hanyou. "You're such a selfish _asshole_ and I got everyone to go to your birthday dinner at your favorite restaurant after you were supposed to have dinner with your parents and I even changed the reservation time after you told me that dinner with your parents was canceled but you just want to walk around the city being broody and… and grumpy and being an overall _bastard_ , you jerk!"

Inuyasha's face softened. "You planned a dinner for me?"

"Yeah! And kami knows how I managed to get other people to show up because you're not exactly Mr. Congeniality! I don't even know why I even tried so hard when you don't even appreciate it or me!"

"I'm sorry."

"And— … what?" Ayame blinked her emerald eyes up at him. "Y-you're sorry?"

"Yeah," he shrugged. Inuyasha looked down at the gift she thrust at him. He poked a finger into it, digging through the tissue to find her gift, making a face when he saw the unopened gift and envelope from his father. But he found her gift and pulled it out.

Ayame pushed his hand back down into the bag, a blush on her cheeks. "You don't have to open it now!"

"Are you kidding me? You were just on my fucking case about not opening your gift!"

"Yeah, but I don't want to be here when you open it."

"Why? Is it embarrassing?" Inuyasha smirked and a mischievous glint came into his eyes. "Is it a picture of naked girls?"

Ayame hit him again. "Hentai," she muttered.

Inuyasha's smirk disappeared when he pulled out the envelope and then the two tickets inside, his eyes widening. "No way, Ayame. Tickets to the NPB championships? Holy fuck, how much did that cost you?"

"Hey! It's a gift, you can't ask how much something costs! And in case you didn't notice, I gave you _two_ tickets."

"Yeah… I just gotta figure out who to ta— ow!" Inuyasha scowled at her, reaching up to rub his ear after she released her hold on it. "Of course, I'm gonna take you, you idiot." He peered in the bag again. "You want me to read this now or later?"

With a shrug, Ayame said, "It's up to you."

Inuyasha stared at the card, his brow furrowing. "I'll read it later. But thanks, Ayame."

Ayame smiled, pleased with herself.

"Now come on, let's go to this great dinner you set up for me."

Ayame rolled her eyes at his sarcasm, but walked at his side, the smile still on her face. She elbowed him in the side, laughing to herself when he elbowed her back. Business as usual.

* * *

_Nine years ago…_

Ayame smiled as she smoothed out her new uniform and hung it up on her door. She hurried outside and placed a hand on her grandfather's shoulder as he read the paper. "Jii-chan, I'll just be going upstairs for a little bit."

"Dinner will be when it always is. Feel free to invite Inuyasha. We should celebrate the two of you getting into a good high school together."

Waving a hand behind her as she closed the door to signify she heard him, Ayame leapt up the three floors that separated her and the Takados' apartments. She rapped her knuckles lightly against the front door like she usually did. The door swung open as she hit it. Tentatively peeking her head in, Ayame froze on the spot, her mouth dropping.

The Takados' usual modest but tasteful furniture was gone and in its place were large cardboard boxes, many of them already sealed.

Izayoi walked out of the kitchen with a pile of dishes, putting them into an open box and brushing her hands on her jeans afterwards before she looked up and noticed the young wolf youkai standing in the threshold. She smiled kindly at her.

"Oh Ayame, I thought I heard something. Come on in. Inuyasha's just gone out to get some more packing boxes but he should be back soon. I think I still have some tableware in the cabinets if you want something to drink."

"No thank you, Takado-san," Ayame replied numbly.

Izayoi frowned at her. "Are you sure you're alright, Ayame?"

"You're moving?" she asked, dumbfounded.

Izayoi's frown deepened. "You mean Inuyasha didn't tell you?"

Ayame shook her head and Izayoi held a hand to her forehead. "I can't believe that boy."

"Mom! Where do you want me to put these boxes?" Inuyasha walked in with a bunch of flattened boxes in his arms and his voice died as he walked in. "Oh shit."

"Language, Inuyasha. But you're right." Izayoi sighed and shook her head. "Are you telling me that you never told Ayame we're moving?"

His ears drooping, Inuyasha purposefully avoided looking at his childhood friend. "I meant to, but with all the packing and… I was hanging out with the guys a lot recently since they knew…"

Ayame held back a sob and ran out of the apartment. Izayoi scowled at Inuyasha and took the boxes from him.

"I think you owe her an explanation and an apology."

"Yeah, I know. I just… I didn't want to have to tell her."

Sighing, Izayoi put a hand to Inuyasha's cheek. "Inuyasha, I know that you didn't want to hurt her, but unfortunately, it ended up that way by you not telling her. Now go fix it. You two have been best friends for nearly a decade."

Inuyasha nodded and followed after Ayame, frowning at the fresh scent of tears. He followed her to their old elementary school playground, sitting in a swing, her head bowed.

"Not now, Inuyasha," she sniffled.

"Look, Ayame—"

"I said not now, you baka!"

"Well I owe you an explanation so you're gonna listen whether you want to or not!" Inuyasha plopped down in the swing next to her.

"You know my old man died… and that hag of his refuses to give us what he left us. We're not exactly in the best financial situation… Mom was worried she wouldn't be able to pay tuition so she started looking for a second job. I told her I'd start working but she didn't want me to… She ended up getting this awesome opportunity at some big shot law firm closer to the city. Her boss even got the admissions departments of some fancy high schools to take a look at my scores… He said even if I didn't get in, he'd try and help out with tuition to whatever school I wanted to go to."

Ayame lifted her head to look at him. "So we could still go to school together?"

Inuyasha winced and Ayame lowered her head once more. "I got into Horikoshi Gakuen…"

"Horikoshi?" Ayame echoed incredulously. "The most elite, expensive high school in Japan?"

Inuyasha shrugged, kicking his feet against the dirt beneath the swing.

"And you're moving near there?"

Inuyasha nodded.

Ayame blinked. "Wow. Nakano isn't a bad neighborhood at all. Of course you'd live there, that's where the school is…" She smiled weakly at him. "That's great, Inuyasha, really. I'm just… really sad that we won't be going to school together like we thought we would, you know?"

"Keh! I don't give a fuck if I'm going to Horikoshi," he said with disdain. "I only decided to go there because I know it'd make my mom happy. I know I'm gonna end up hating it there anyway. Nothing but a bunch of prissy, rich, spoiled brats. Apparently my mom's boss has a kid around my age who's going there. Have to go to some bullshit company picnic this weekend and meet them."

"Sounds exciting."

"Like hell it is. I'll come around after school and on weekends, you know. Hang out with you guys."

"You promise?

Inuyasha nodded, his gold eyes glinting in the orange hues of the sunset. "Yeah."

…

Ayame pouted as she stood outside the arcade, checking the time on her watch. "He's late again…"

She turned as she finally registered Inuyasha's scent as he came running.

"Sorry, Ayame, I got held up talking with some people after school."

She smiled at him. "It's fine. So where did you want to go?"

"You hungry? We can just grab a quick bite and talk."

After nodding her acquiescence, Inuyasha and she settled down at a booth at a nearby café, having stilted conversation as their order came.

"So how's the new school?"

Quickly swallowing the large bite he took, Inuyasha nodded enthusiastically. "It's great. Sure, there are a bunch of bastards who need a good ass kicking, but I managed to find a good crowd of people to hang out with. Also might join one of the martial arts club."

"You would."

Inuyasha smirked at her before taking another bite of his food.

"Tell me about your friends."

Inuyasha shrugged. "I don't really know a lot of them that well yet… But there is this one girl… she's the daughter of my mom's boss. The one I met during that picnic a while back? Remember?" Before Ayame could answer, Inuyasha kept going, "She's… she's really different, you know? It's weird, we argue all the time but… I kind of like it." His cheeks pinked slightly. "I might rile her up on purpose sometimes, but she looks cute when she's angry. And you know what? It's so easy to talk to her when we're not arguing, too. It just comes naturally."

He didn't notice how Ayame's face fell or how she sat back in the booth, staring down at her untouched food. "Naturally?" she echoed.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, sometimes she gets on my nerves, but when I think about it, I don't _really_ mind. I'm just not... used to anyone caring that much. She's really pretty and smart, except with math but I mean, I offered to help her. And she's so… nice. I don't know. And I know I can trust her. She has the kind of personality that you just gravitate to."

Ayame looked up at him and sighed at the preoccupied, wistful look on the hanyou's face.

"You must really like her."

Inuyasha snapped out of his trance and he blushed. "Are you kidding? Like hell!" He began to dig into his food again. "How about you, Ayame? How's school? Is Ryo still being a dick to everyone? He's one reason why I'm glad I'm going to a different high school."

A smile growing on her face, Ayame nodded. "Same as always."

…

"Inuyasha, I don't know where you get off thinking you can just blow me off _again_ , but it's ridiculous! It's been weeks since I've last seen you and I can't remember the last time you returned a phone call. You promised, _swore_ , that you'd hang out with me today."

Ayame snapped her phone shut, fighting the urge to crush it in her fist. She looked around and groaned before trudging towards the train station that would bring her home. She rounded the corner and came to an abrupt stop.

Across the street and a few blocks away, there was an otherwise ordinary group of high school students walking as they made their way home from school. No, the thing that stopped her was the tall, lean, white-haired hanyou with doggy ears perched on the top of his head that was with them. Ayame glanced at his friends. Among the group, aside from Inuyasha, there were two other boys and two girls. They were all human, save for one of the boys. She raised an eyebrow. He was also wolf youkai.

Her acute hearing picked up on some of their conversation.

"Miroku, you're going to end up regretting that decision, I swear," one of the girls said. "That girl is nothing but a slut and everyone knows it."

The youkai guffawed. "That's probably why he's going with her."

"Sango, are you sure that you're not just jealous that I didn't ask you to the dance?" asked Miroku.

The brown-haired girl scoffed, at odds with the pink flush on her cheeks. "Of course not! Besides, I'm going with someone else."

Inuyasha snorted. "Who, Kohaku? Little brothers don't count."

"Inuyasha! Quit being so rude!" The petite raven-haired girl smacked him on the shoulder. She smiled at the girl called Sango. "No, I heard that Kuranosuke-kun asked her. He's always had the biggest crush on her. Doesn't he, Sango?"

Sango flushed and ducked her head. "I don't know about that…"

Miroku widened his amethyst eyes. "You're going to the dance with Runny-Nose?" he asked accusingly.

"What about it? He's nice to me and he doesn't reach for my butt every minute!" Sango swatted at his hand before slowing her pace so that she walked behind him. "What about you, Kagome? I heard that Hojo's planning on asking you."

"He really doesn't know how to take a hint, does he?" she asked exasperatedly. "I'm really just not interested in him."

The wolf youkai wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I'll teach him a lesson for trying to take my girl to the dance."

Kagome rolled her eyes at him but before she could say anything Inuyasha roughly pushed him away and growled, "What did I tell you about pulling that kind of shit?"

The youkai laughed good-naturedly. "Quit being so serious, Inuyasha. We all know that no one's allowed to touch Kagome if you're around."

Miroku piped up, "Wait, Inuyasha, are you telling me that you haven't even asked your own girlfriend to the dance?"

Folding his arms across his chest, Inuyasha grumbled, "I thought it was already understood that I was taking her."

Kagome winked at Miroku and commented offhandedly, "I don't know, some effort would have been appreciated."

Growling playfully, Inuyasha hugged Kagome from behind and nuzzled her ear. "Kagome," he whined. "You know I don't do things like that."

Sighing dramatically, Kagome reached up to tweak one of his ears. "I know. Romance is one of the things I sacrificed when I agreed to be your girlfriend."

"Oi!"

The rest of the group burst out laughing but Ayame had already run away, running and making it back home even faster than the train would have taken her. She didn't hear the end of the conversation.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow. I'm meeting one of my friends from junior high school and I'm already late. She's gonna bite my head off."

He waved as the rest of the group gave him a chorus of goodbyes, except for Kagome. She smiled at him and tip toed to kiss him on the cheek.

"See you later?"

"Yeah, I should introduce you to my friend if she's not too busy."

"I'd like that." Kagome's smile softened. "I love you."

Inuyasha kissed the crown of her head, murmuring, "I love you, too," before rounding the corner to where he had agreed to meet Ayame. He frowned at her absence.

"She's not usually late… I should try calling her… shit." Making a face at the missed calls showing on his screen, Inuyasha dialed her phone, grumbling, "She knows I keep my phone on silent because I hate the ringer. Now she won't even pick up… damn mood swings." Staring at the phone in his hands, he resolved, "I'll call her back tonight and grovel for an apology."

Ayame rushed through her front door, hoping to avoid seeing her grandfather before running into her bedroom and closing the door behind her. It wasn't long before her grandfather quietly entered the room and sat on the edge of the bed, gently putting his hand on her shoulder reassuringly.

"Ayame?"

"It's nothing, jii-chan. It's dumb."

"It can't be that dumb if it's making you so upset."

Ayame slowly sat up and looked up at her grandfather, noting the fatigue and age showing in his face. She reached forward and hugged him. "I think Inuyasha's forgotten about me. I saw him with… with his new friends and his girlfriend and…"

"Ayame, I'm sure he hasn't forgotten you. He's just caught up in all the new aspects of his life." He took a deep breath. "On the other hand, I hate to tell you this, but some things just aren't meant to be. You two will always have a special place in each others' hearts as childhood friends, but as much as I ache for your heartache, I want you to realize you can't begrudge Inuyasha for his own feelings."

Nodding slowly, Ayame turned to her grandfather. "I understand, jii-chan."

"Maybe him moving away was a good thing. You can focus on your studies and maybe meet some other boys. You have all the time in the world."

"You're right," she sniffled. She pulled away and gave her grandfather a teary smile. "I'm sure I'll find my mate someday. Until then, I just have to focus on my future. Just you wait, jii-chan. I'm gonna get a good job and buy you all of the tea you could ever want and a house with a little garden you can look at through your bedroom window."

"I don't doubt it," he replied with a smile. "For now, I'll go get _you_ some tea."

He exited her room quietly and Ayame jumped at the buzzing from her phone on her desk. She glanced at the screen and her fingers trembling, rejected the call.


	12. Chapter 12

_Last Time…_

" _Maybe him moving away was a good thing. You can focus on your studies and maybe meet some other boys. You have all the time in the world."_

" _You're right," she sniffled. She pulled away and gave her grandfather a teary smile. "I'm sure I'll find my mate someday. Until then, I just have to focus on my future. Just you wait, jii-chan. I'm gonna get a good job and buy you all of the tea you could ever want and a house with a little garden you can look at through your bedroom window."_

" _I don't doubt it," he replied with a smile. "I'll go get you some tea."_

_He exited her room quietly and Ayame jumped at the buzzing from her phone on her desk. She glanced at the screen and her fingers trembling, rejected the call._

* * *

_Five years ago…_

The air was thick and foggy with smoke and the body heat crowding the small house. Inuyasha wrinkled his nose in disdain and fought the urge to hightail it out of there. He snorted indelicately to try and get the smoke the strong smell out of his nostrils, but the action only made it worse, the triangular ears on top of his head flicking restlessly.

"Miroku, this is the last fucking time I let you decide how we spend our Friday night," he growled in Miroku's ear to be heard over the music and din of jumbled conversation. Inuyasha took the shot someone handed him and downed it.

Ignoring his threat, Miroku laughed boisterously and clapped Inuyasha in the back, already feeling the effects of the current drink in his hand— not his first, second, or even third— and whatever was being smoked, its potency increased by the humid, hazy atmosphere.

"Come on, Inuyasha! We're young and attractive! What else are we supposed to be doing on a Friday night?"

Snorting, then immediately regretting it since he was then overcome by the smell of burning incense, cigarette smoke, and marijuana and whatever else people were burning, Inuyasha pointed out, "I could've been curled up in bed with Kagome, ignoring whatever movie she put on."

Miroku made a face. "But you two do that all the time. You can survive one night apart. I don't know if you two have done that in the past four years that we've known each other."

Inuyasha slapped the back of Miroku's head, ignoring his best friend's glare. "Idiot. Of course we have. Just don't know why you couldn't drag someone else out to this shitty party instead. It's not like you don't have loser friends with nothing better to do."

Shaking his hands free of the liquor that spilled when Inuyasha hit him, Miroku replied offhandedly, "Maybe they're having their chance to woo Kagome." His comment earned him a fist to the back of the head. "Hey! Quit it, Inuyasha. Kill too many brain cells and I won't be able to pass my medical board exams next year."

"Be doing all of Tokyo a favor if you ask me," Inuyasha retorted.

"Hey, being a successful doctor is my only chance of finally winning over Sango."

"She's too good for you," he muttered bluntly.

Shrugging, Miroku chuckled, "Probably. Doesn't mean I won't try making up for it for the rest of my life if she'll have me."

Inuyasha ignored him and shifted his weight and crossed his arms uncomfortably, his eyes squinting as he glared around the room, his vision becoming blurry. Whether from the smoke or his own eyes, he wasn't exactly sure. Miroku raised an eyebrow at him.

"This is really uncomfortable for you, isn't it?"

"No shit. You think it's bad enough with you smelling all of this shit. _I'm_ smelling it and taking in a lot more than you."

Miroku couldn't help but laugh. "Oh god, is it gonna be like that time we tried out that alcohol vaporizer and made a sake cloud? I don't think any of us have ever seen you so drunk…"

"Shut up. I can still _drink_ you under the table." Inuyasha winced as his headache worsened. "Speaking of which…" he reached over to a table with prepared shot glasses and downed two in quick succession.

"That'll only make your hangover worse tomorrow morning."

"Keh! That's assuming if I even get one."

"I wouldn't be so arrogant, Inuyasha, if you ask me, you're starting to look a little drunk."

"Ain't the alcohol."

"Maybe. But it's probably the cloud of whatever people are smoking. Your eyes are red, Inuyasha. And not in a terrifying youkai way, either."

"Fuck." Inuyasha winced once more as he felt the cloud in his head thicken. His senses were dulling, the thickness of the air in the house permeating into the edges of his mind. "Shit, maybe you're right."

"Come on, let's sit outside."

"Load of help that'll do me now," Inuyasha grumbled. He reached for another shot, hoping the quick burn down his throat would clear the haziness. It didn't.

Miroku pulled at Inuyasha's arm. "Come on. We should probably get out and get some fresh air."

Blinking his eyes rapidly, Inuyasha nodded. "For once, you have the right idea, Miroku."

The duo made their way to the door when Inuyasha vaguely registered someone calling his name, although it sounded like it was from kilometers away, and not in his hanyou form, but as if he were human. He groaned, his regret at agreeing to go with Miroku increasing hundredfold. He ignored the voice and kept walking.

"Remind me tomorrow to kill you for convincing me to go with you," he hissed.

"If I'm not already dead from my hangover," Miroku replied happily enough. Inuyasha fought the urge to hit him again.

A hand on Inuyasha's shoulder made him stop and jerk away, ready to beat down whoever tried touching him, inebriated or not. "Hey, asshole, keep your hands off me!" He looked at who tried to pick a fight with him and froze, his mouth dropping.

"Well is that anyway way to greet me after four years?" Ayame teased. She looked more closely at Inuyasha and frowned. "Are you alright?"

"How the _fuck_ are you not messed up like I am?"

"Mentholated topical cream on my nose to block the smell," she said plainly. "I've also taken to not breathing," she joked.

Miroku pushed his way in front of Inuyasha. "How ingenious. Inuyasha, how could you possibly know this beautiful, intelligent woman?"

Ayame raised an eyebrow and shared a look with one of her friends by her side. "Lays it on thick, doesn't he?" she commented to Inuyasha.

Miroku waggled his eyebrows and grinned indulgently. "As thick as you'd like."

Inuyasha groaned and putting his palm on Miroku's face, pushed him away from Ayame and her friend. "Fucking pervert."

Ayame laughed it off. "Come on, why don't we get out of here. You don't look too well."

Taking one of Inuyasha's arms over her shoulder, she waited for Miroku to grab the other one. When she looked behind her, she raised an eyebrow at him chatting up her friend. She laughed.

Inuyasha growled, "Piece-of-shit-best-friend."

She turned back at him and stared at his profile, feeling his weight as she held him up. "Well you filled out well over the years," she noted.

Inuyasha looked back at her and if it weren't for the fact that he was simultaneously drunk and high, Ayame might have thought he was blushing like he used to whenever she teased him. She laughed nervously.

"Come on, I'll take you back home; you're not in any condition to get home by yourself and it seems like your friend is otherwise occupied."

Inuyasha looked back and saw Ayame's friend laughing at what Inuyasha was sure was one of Miroku's cheesy, overdone pick up lines.

"You're sure she can handle herself?"

"Oh yeah. She's just humoring your friend." She grunted. "Ugh! Come on, Inuyasha, just make it to my car. Don't tell me this is your first time drunk?

"Drunk? Hell no. But I don't know what that fucking cloud of whatever they're smoking is doing to me."

Ayame sighed. "Tell me about it, the first time I tried weed, I wanted to puke. The beauty of being human, I guess."

Scoffing, Inuyasha groaned afterwards as a wave of dizziness passed through him. "I can't imagine you doing anything remotely improper. What would your poor grandfather say?"

"Thankfully, he'll never have to find out. Unless he's listening in, of course."

"What? He's hiding in the bushes or something?"

A sad smile appeared on her lips. "No. From above," she said simply.

Inuyasha froze and Ayame stumbled. "Ayame, I'm so sorry."

"It's fine," she reassured him, "He wanted to be with baa-chan again. And I was all grown up. In the few weeks before he died, I could tell he was _tired_ , you know? I told him that I would be okay. I want him to be happy with his mate."

Helping Inuyasha into the car, Ayame made it to the driver's side, starting the engine and beginning to drive. "Where to? Oh Inuyasha…"

The hanyou was close to falling asleep or passing out, Ayame wasn't sure which. Her emerald eyes widened when the hanyou started dry heaving. She immediately braked and Inuyasha nearly tore off the car door before he ran to the side of the road to vomit. Rushing out of the car, Ayame sighed and watched Inuyasha, pity evident in her expression as he groaned and held his head in his hands.

"I'm gonna fucking kill Miroku," he muttered. Even after vomiting, the fog still hadn't cleared in his head.

"Not in this state, you're not. Come on, I'll take you to my place to get cleaned up."

"No, it's fine Ayame. I'll be fine as soon as I get home and shower and wash my mouth out."

"I'd feel better if you had someone to watch you."

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha countered, "I could call…" he glanced at his watch. "Fuck, it's _that_ late?"

Shrugging, Ayame remarked, "Or early, depending on your interpretation."

"I don't want to wake her up," he murmured, more to himself.

Raising an eyebrow, Ayame guessed, "Your girlfriend?"

"Yeah…"

Ayame nodded back at the car. "Get in the car. If you don't want to wake her up, you're crashing on my couch until you sober up or until you're not high anymore."

"It's fine—"

"Would I be able to convince you if I told you I'd make ramen for you?"

Narrowing his eyes at her suspiciously, Inuyasha slowly got into the car, bristling at Ayame's laughter.

"You haven't changed at all, Inuyasha."

"I guess I could say the same about you."

"Still young and naive."

He snorted and the rest of the drive continued in silence. Ayame pulled up to a modest looking apartment building. Shutting the car door behind him, wincing as the soft thud sounded like cannons bursting in his ears, Inuyasha followed Ayame to her apartment.

"You're obviously in university."

Rolling her eyes, Ayame retorted sarcastically, "Obviously."

"So tell me why you're not dorming."

"It's cheaper," she replied as though it were obvious. "You're dorming?"

"Yeah. That baka is my roommate."

"Ah, the touchy-feely one."

As she opened her front door, Ayame immediately showed Inuyasha to the bathroom. "Wash up if you want. As much as you might want to, I recommend not digging through my medicine cabinet for pain relievers."

"Keh! What are you, my doctor?"

"No, but I might be your nurse in the near future," she quipped before she disappeared in the direction of what appeared to be her bedroom.

Inuyasha called out, "Like I'll ever need to see a doctor."

"Not willingly, you wouldn't."

"Damn right."

After washing his face with cold water and rinsing his mouth out with mouthwash. He came out and found Ayame, dressed in pajamas, fixing the sofa up with blankets and pillows.

"Ayame, you didn't need to do that. I would've been fine on the floor."

"Shut up. You know there's no chance of that happening. I made you some tea."

Inuyasha made a face. "No thanks."

"Baka. Drink it."

"I feel better," he lied.

"That's not what your eyes are telling me; they're still bloodshot. And you're looking a little wobbly standing there."

"I told you— I'm fine—oomph!" Inuyasha glared at her after the pillow bounced off of his face.

"Yeah. You're fine. Great reflexes," she said sarcastically. "Sleep. I'll drop you off in the morning but I need some sleep."

"Wait, Ayame." Inuyasha scrutinized her. "Why did you stop talking to me? You ignored my calls and texts for _weeks_."

Ayame blinked, obviously not expecting Inuyasha's question. "I don't know, Inuyasha. It seemed like I stopped being a priority for you and as much as I understand that things were changing for you, I didn't appreciate putting in all the effort into the friendship without any input from you."

"Kami, you make it sound like we were dating or something."

Glaring at him, Ayame, yelled, "We grew up together, Inuyasha! We were each other's best friends and then all of a sudden, as soon as you go off to a fancy new school with rich friends and pretty girlfriends, I get left behind! And I was the one who was there by your side for ten years, listening to you yell about your father or to save your ass when you did stupid shit like pick fights or ditch school!"

"I was fifteen fucking years old, Ayame. I barely have a grasp on how to balance myself now and I sure as hell didn't have a clue four years ago. I've always been there for you, too, in case you don't fucking remember! Who beat up all of those bastards who hurt your feelings or broke your heart?"

In tears now, Ayame yelled back, "You're the one who shattered it! Do you have any idea how _lonely_ I felt? And then that last day, I was going to leave and blow you off, but then I turn the corner and there you were with your new friends and girlfriend."

Inuyasha pulled up short, shock evident in his expression. "I… Ayame, I know I screwed up a lot during the first few months, but that day, I was going to meet you. When I showed up, you were gone and when I called and called you never picked up."

His headache seemed to be exacerbated by the emotional stress in the room and the fogginess still hadn't completely left Inuyasha.

Advancing towards him accusingly, she yelled, "Baka! You didn't come after me."

Shaking his head in an effort to clear his head, Inuyasha retorted, "How was I supposed to know that you wanted me to, Ayame?"

"Because of _this_."

Ayame reached up, her hands entangling themselves in Inuyasha's hair and her body pressed against his as she kissed him. Inuyasha froze, his eyes wide and his hands feeling like lead at his sides. He didn't know whether to push her off or just run. She pushed him back against the apartment wall and Inuyasha's legs numbly followed. Soon, he felt her hands travel under his shirt and her touch was enough for Inuyasha to be shaken out of his stupor and jump away from her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he roared.

"Inuyasha… I didn't meant for that to… I'm so sorry."

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Inuyasha, I—"

"You _know_ I'm in a committed relationship!"

"—so sorry," Ayame gasped.

Running a hand through his hair, Inuyasha turned and made his way out of the apartment. "I can't… I need to get out of here… I need to talk to Kagome."

"Kagome? The girl from four years ago? You're still dating her?"

"Does that fucking make a difference?"

"You're going to wake her up at four in the morning over this?"

"I need to tell her."

"Inuyasha!"

"Not now, Ayame."

"No, Inuyasha, wait. I'm… I'm really sorry."

Inuyasha stopped and looked back at her, nodding his acknowledgement before closing the door behind him, leaving Ayame to cradle her head in her hands and cry.

' _What the fuck have I done? What the_ fuck _have I done?'_

Having been walking through the desolate streets of Tokyo for nearly three hours now, Inuyasha settled on wandering through the paths of Shinjuku Central Park before he plopped down onto a bench, bent over with his hands clasped behind his neck.

"Fuck!" he cursed.

' _I don't even know how I'm going to tell her. But I have to. She deserves that much from me, right? But… that'll be it, won't it?'_

The realization nearly brought Inuyasha to his knees, the feeling akin to a hand through his chest and squeezing his heart. He surprised himself with the sensation of saltwater trailing down his cheeks and he grimaced.

The sun began its lazy crawl across the sky, igniting the sky with a fiery hue of pink and orange before it tempered to a pearly grey. Inuyasha had gotten to his feet countless times to make his way to Kagome's apartment but the ache in his chest slammed into him every time and he had to sit down again.

He grit his teeth. "Just do it, you fucking coward."

Closing his eyes, he thought of Kagome's gentle smile and that was enough incentive for him to make the agonizing walk to her apartment. He stayed outside of her door, knowing that she'd quickly kick him out anyway. With a shuddering breath, Inuyasha rang the doorbell.

The seconds were centuries of pure agony for him. When the door finally opened, she greeted him with a smile, reaching for him before making a face, her nose wrinkling. "Oh god you reek", she laughed. "Did you just get home? What the hell did you and Miroku do last night?"

Kagome began walking away from the door, expecting him to follow her inside. When he didn't she turned around and laughed again. "Inuyasha? I was just joking, you don't smell _that_ bad. If you really feel self conscious about it, you know you're more than welcome to take a shower."

Inuyasha's mouth dried up. Whether it was from the alcohol or drugs or the rising panic, he wasn't sure.

Kagome's smile fell, her face frowning in confusion at his silence. "Inuyasha? What's going on? Why are you looking at me like that? H-have you been crying?"

"Kagome…"

"Oh Kami… what happened last night? Are you okay?" She rushed to him and looked him over. "Where's Miroku? Is he okay?"

"I… I don't know," he said truthfully. "I'm pretty sure he's fine, though."

Blinking at him in confusion, Kagome asked, "What exactly did you do then?"

He took a deep breath. "That fucking party Miroku took me to… they were smoking something and it messed with me and I started getting sick…"

"But you're okay?"

"Now I am, but a few hours ago… and then someone offered to take me home but I nearly puked in her car—"

Kagome tenderly put a hand on his cheek. "Inuyasha…"

Inuyasha relished her touch, pressing against her palm before he gently pulled it away from him, grasping it in his hand. "You're going to hate me, Kagome," he whispered, his voice harsh.

"Hate you?" Her gaze was concerned and Inuyasha felt himself shaking before he finally told her.

"I couldn't… she said I could crash on her couch and then before I knew it…"

Realization dawned on her face, shortly followed by hurt and betrayal. Kagome's sharp intake of breath was like a blow to his chest. She pulled her hand away from his, cradling it against her chest. Raising an eyebrow at him, she swallowed and asked slowly, carefully, "Inuyasha, what exactly did you do?"

"Does it really matter?" he asked sadly.

His response seemed to be like a slap in the face to her. She scoffed and replied, "No… no I guess it doesn't." When Inuyasha reached out for her, she backed away from him, "No!" Tears were quickly gathering and threatening to spill over. "If you're not even willing to _talk_ about this with me then I guess it doesn't matter. _Nothing_ matters, Inuyasha, except that you…" she gasped.

"Wait, Kagome, you need to know—"

Kagome quickly grabbed a set of keys and her phone before she closed the door behind her, hurrying down the steps.

"Kagome!"

"Inuyasha, please just let me try to process this right now. I… I need to be alone for now."

"Kagome, I need to know. Do… do you hate me?"

Freezing on the steps, Kagome looked back up at him, her eyes glassy. "I…" Shaking her head, she told him, "I don't think so."

"Do you still love me?" he asked desperately.

"I want to say yes…" she whispered. "But I really can't stand to be near you right now, Inuyasha, and I don't want to say something I'll regret."

Inuyasha watched her run to her car, his heart breaking as he saw her wipe tears from her eyes before she pulled away.

' _She's never going to forgive me. I don't deserve that.'_

Turning his gaze towards the sky, Inuyasha's resolve strengthened. _'I don't ever want to be a reminder of pain for her…'_

…

Sango sympathetically rubbed Kagome's back as her best friend cried into her shoulder.

"I swear, I'm going to fucking kill Miroku for dragging Inuyasha to that party."

Kagome lifted her head, sniffling. "It's not his fault, Sango. He's not the one who forced Inuyasha to cheat."

"Kagome, he should have known better than to bring Inuyasha, especially when it sounds like something was smoked, based on what you told me Inuyasha smelled like. You and I both know, Inuyasha's especially susceptible."

Shaking her head, Kagome countered, "But you can't just let something like that happen unless somewhere deep down inside, you _want_ it to."

Sango sighed. "You can crash here for the next few days. I don't want you by yourself. Just have a few days to clear your head and think about things, but _talk to Inuyasha_ , Kagome. He loves you."

"I know… which makes everything so much harder." She took a deep breath. "But I'm going to talk to him and try to work past this…"

…

Kagome frowned at the door and tried knocking again to no response. She was about to turn when she nearly bumped into Miroku. He looked at her with wide, apologetic eyes and before Kagome could say anything, he blurted out, "Kagome, I'm so sorry I took Inuyasha to that party and I knew he was starting lose coherency, but then there was a pretty girl and someone said she could help get Inuyasha home. Kagome, this never would have happened if I hadn't—"

"Miroku. Stop. What's done is done so can you please just open your door? Inuyasha's ignoring me."

Miroku frowned. "Inuyasha's not here."

"Do you know where he is? I need to talk to him."

"Kagome, I thought you two had broken up."

"What? No, I don't— I don't _think_ we did. Is that what Inuyasha thought?"

"I don't know, he didn't say anything to me. But Kagome, he left."

"Left?" she echoed numbly.

"About two days ago. He flew to America. I thought it was because the two of you had broken up."

"America…"

Kagome ignored Miroku calling after her and ran again, fighting the urge to break down in the dormitory. _'So he just decided to give up and run away instead…'_


	13. Chapter 13

_Last Time…_

_Miroku frowned. "Inuyasha's not here."_

" _Do you know where he is? I need to talk to him."_

" _Kagome, I thought you two had broken up."_

" _What? No, I don't— I don't think we did. Is that what Inuyasha thought?"_

" _I don't know, he didn't say anything to me. But Kagome, he left."_

" _Left?" she echoed numbly._

" _About two days ago. He flew to America. I thought it was because the two of you had broken up."_

" _America…"_

 _Kagome ignored Miroku calling after her and ran again, fighting the urge to break down in the dormitory_. 'So he just decided to give up and run away instead…'

* * *

Ayame hurriedly knelt down to the floor to gather all of the papers she dropped, messily piling them up on top of her clipboard. She straightened up and busied herself with reorganizing the whole file. "I'm such an idiot. Everything's ruined now. Let me print you a new copy of the paperwork." Ayame turned briefly as she hurried through the door, directing her gaze at Kagome. "I'm so sorry, Kagome," she said earnestly.

Kagome numbly stared back, unable to do anything as Ayame quickly exited, but not before everyone saw her grimace and the redness in her cheeks. Kagome put a shaky hand to her forehead, closing her eyes and reaching behind her for the armchair before Miroku helped her sit down. She looked up at him with wide eyes.

"You work with her?" she asked quietly, her eyes quickly darting over to Kouga. He looked over at them in concern but it seemed as if he couldn't hear.

"I had no idea. I just met her tonight, Kagome. I swear to you. And I didn't remember her from a drunken night five years ago. To be honest, I didn't pay her much mind back then since I was more interested in her friend," he whispered back quickly. "But I have to ask, are you okay right now?"

Miroku's amethyst eyes were wide with worry but stared at her with such intensity, Kagome was confused as to why until she noticed her shaking hands and the cold sweat she felt on the nape of her neck. Miroku's fingers were wrapped intentionally over her wrist, stealthily monitoring her pulse.

"I'm fine… a little shell shocked, but I'll be okay. I just want information about my father." Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I just want to focus on my father," she reiterated loudly.

Nodding, Miroku let go of her wrist to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I took a look at his file. His injuries are extensive and he's going to have a long stay here. He's stable and there's not much else we can do right now so the best thing for _you_ is to go home and get some sleep. It's been a long night."

Standing up, the two shared a quick embrace. When Kagome let go, she asked, "What about the paperwork?"

Souta stepped forward. "I'll take care of it." He shook his head at her objection. "C'mon, sis. I'm already legally considered an adult. You of all people should acknowledge that by now."

Kouga agreed, "Yeah, Kagome. Souta can handle signing a couple of papers. I'm sure Miroku will make sure he doesn't sign anything he's not supposed to. You're dead on your feet right now." He crossed the room towards her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "We'll be back first thing tomorrow morning. I'll call Chiyo and let her know what's happened. Don't worry about work, okay?"

Kagome looked up at her husband and smiled weakly. Touching her palm softly to his cheek, she acquiesced. "Okay," she whispered before kissing him quickly. Disengaging from his hold, Kagome leaned over her father's sleeping form, tenderly holding his hand and kissing his cheek. "I'll be back soon, Papa."

Once more taking her in his arms, Kouga and Kagome left the room after she bid good night to Souta and Miroku. As they neared Inuyasha, who hovered uncomfortably near the door, Kouga clapped him on the shoulder reassuringly.

"Hey, you need to get some rest, too. That rib's gonna be nasty to deal with if you don't sleep it off."

Inuyasha blinked before retorting, "Keh! I can take care of myself. You worry about your family, wolf."

Kouga chuckled good naturedly before waving him a quick salute and leaving with Kagome. As Inuyasha watched them leave, Kagome said nothing but glanced at him once. Her usually easy-to-read eyes were guarded and cold. He tried to silently plead with her, beg for her to understand, but she turned back around and instead moved closer to Kouga, trying to hide her head against his chest. It wasn't long after that the scent of her tears wafted into the air. Inuyasha clenched his fists and grit his teeth in frustration.

"I wonder what got into nee-chan…" Souta wondered aloud.

Inuyasha and Miroku both turned to him, bemused. "You mean you don't know?" Miroku asked carefully.

"No, I mean that was pretty sudden wasn't it? And the nurse practically ran out of here. I don't get it. She seemed like she got spooked by something. You sure you didn't sleep with her and not call her back, Miroku?"

In any other situation, Inuyasha would have been laughing his ass off, especially at Miroku's reaction. The dark-haired man turned red and immediately became flustered, sputtering at Souta. Inuyasha was still surprised that Kouga and Souta were so oblivious to the exchange that had just taken place.

"Inuyasha, are you alright?"

"Huh?"

Souta stared at him, confused, before he asked again, "Don't you think it's time you went home and got some rest? I was there with the x-ray and everything. I know you're pretty banged up, even if you don't want to admit it. Come on, man. Just go home. I'll be alright here. If I need anything, I'll page Miroku."

"As if I didn't have enough things to do tonight," Miroku grumbled. "Still have rounds to do and now I have to cater to Souta."

"You're the one who signed up for the life."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You should get some sleep, too. Look, I'll let the nurses' station know that no one should bother you with any paperwork at least until tomorrow morning. Kagome will probably be back by then anyway. I'll try and steal some pillows from an empty room for you."

"Don't worry about it."

"You sure?"

"I'm used to sleeping uncomfortably. Student life. Finals and stuff."

"Okay. Night, Souta." Miroku quickly pat him on the back.

"Yeah, kid. Get some rest," Inuyasha grumbled.

"Go home, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha waved him off. Miroku left the room and Inuyasha numbly followed him until Miroku led them into an empty lounge. He turned on the light and groaned before lying down on the worn sofa. Inuyasha leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. His face was set in a deep scowl.

"What the fuck, Miroku? What were the chances of that happening?"

"You're telling me, Inuyasha. Tonight is not your fucking night." Miroku rubbed his eyes. "First you have to deal with the shit that got you landed in the hospital in the first place and then _that_?! Never been happier to not be you."

"You're a fucking load of help," Inuyasha growled. "And Souta and Kouga? They honestly didn't notice that? I'd call it bullshit, but there's no way those two can act that well."

"Well to be fair, the two of them weren't as involved with the whole… _incident_. They're not as attuned to the dynamic between the three of us, either. Souta's four years younger than us and well, we grew apart from Kouga after high school until he married Kagome." Miroku glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. "You didn't hear the exchange between Kagome and me, did you?"

Inuyasha shook his head.

"Then I guess Kouga didn't either. Probably just thought I was asking her about her dizziness."

Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably and frowned. "She's going to be fine, right?"

"Physically… yeah. Overly fatigued, maybe, but she's fine. She's just in shock. Kagome's had a lot to deal with tonight. I can't speak to her emotional health, though. She was dealt quite a blow."

Inuyasha sighed and resisted the urge to punch the wall. "Goddamn it. The look in her eyes when she realized it… Miroku I didn't know I could hurt her like that again." Inuyasha slid down the wall, resting his elbows on his knees. "I was making so much progress with her, too."

Miroku opened an eye and glanced at his best friend. "Progress with what?" he asked sharply.

"Look, it's nothing bad. I just… if I can't… I'd rather have Kagome as a friend than not at all, okay? And I think we were actually getting to a good place." Inuyasha's ears drooped. " _Damn it_! It's like there's something in the universe that just wants to keep me away from her."

"You ever think maybe it's a sign?" Inuyasha glared at Miroku and Miroku sat up with a sigh. "Don't look at me like that, Inuyasha. Everyone knows how good you and Kagome were. We were all betting on how long it would take for you guys to get married. It was a question of 'when', not 'if', for the two of you. But you guys broke up and she's married to Kouga."

"Don't you think I've already thought about that? Trust me, I've gotten too worked up over it and a couple months ago, we decided maybe it'd be better if we just weren't in each others' lives again. But that was too fucking hard and we missed each other."

"How long do you think Kagome's going to avoid you?"

Inuyasha glared at his hands. "I don't know."

Miroku's face softened, accustomed to his best friend's subtle emotional shifts— enough to know that he was hurting and worried. "Inuyasha, you should go talk to her." He ignored Inuyasha's scowl and continued, "You are the only one who knows what really happened that night. I doubt even Kagome knows the whole story. Go talk to her."

"Keh. Before or after she's done dealing with her father's near death experience? Oh by the way, that's my case. That I have to solve. With Kouga."

Miroku peered over at his watch and stood up with a stretch. "I'm still on break for another half hour. You need me to give you a lift back home?"

"You don't know where I live."

"That's what you're here for isn't it?" Miroku deadpanned.

"Don't worry about it. Try and get some sleep. I need to run."

"You probably should. And take a shower. The dried blood in your hair from your head wound isn't particularly appealing." He waved a lofty hand when Inuyasha scowled at him. "Stay safe. And drop in tomorrow so I can check on that rib."

Inuyasha brushed off his concern. "Weren't you the one who said that it'd most likely be healed in twelve hours?"

"I want to make sure it healed correctly. Otherwise, we'll have to break it again. Unless you're masochistic and _want_ to break it again."

"Yeah, whatever. Fine. Just go to sleep, Miroku. Next time you see Sango, tell her I applaud her for staying with you this long."

Shaking his head, Miroku grinned at him but resettled on the sofa. "Turn off the lights on your way out."

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha flipped the switch before leaving the lounge and making his way to the nearest staircase. Climbing to the roof, he was greeted by a brisk gust as he opened the emergency door. He breathed in the cool air and stepped to the ledge, his gold eyes shining in the darkness and unwavering as they gazed over the Tokyo skyline. Stepping backwards, Inuyasha held his breath and didn't let go until he ran forward and leapt off the edge, landing neatly onto the next rooftop before leaping once more into the air, his thoughts mercifully blank as the lights of Tokyo blurred into ribbons of color around him.

* * *

Kagome and Kouga lingered by the hospital's entrance, waiting for the car they called to pick them up. Kouga took a quick look at his wife, frowning at the traces of tears and how her eyelids were drooping and she swayed where she stood. He sighed and picked her up, Kagome immediately becoming alert.

"Kouga? What do you think you're doing?"

"You can't wait any longer for this damn cab and I'm not having my wife sleep on a sidewalk in the freezing cold."

"Kouga, put me down!"

Huffing, Kouga nevertheless put her back down and she indignantly smoothed out her clothes. "I appreciate the gesture but I don't need to be carried around like a child."

"Come on, Kagome, you need to get home and sleep. And to be honest, I really need some shuteye, too. I hate to admit it, but that damn inuyoukai got some good hits in and I really want to sleep it off."

Kagome raised her eyebrows and immediately her hands began feathering over her husband's torso, trying to figure out where he was hurt. She was about to lift the hem of his shirt when he put a gentle but firm hand over her wrists.

"Kouga, I can't believe you didn't tell me you were hurt! Why didn't you have anyone take a look at it while we were in the hospital? We made all of that fuss about Inuyasha seeing a doctor and then you didn't tell me you were hurt?"

"Calm down, it's nothing serious. And Inuyasha's a hanyou; he needs to see the doctor more than I do. I know my limits, Kagome. It's nothing— just some bumps and bruises. They'll be gone in a couple of hours."

He released her hands and gently smoothed out her forehead, rubbing away her worry lines. "I promise I'm fine, Kagome. I'm just really tired."

Kagome took one of his hands in his. "Then I guess we better start walking. The nearest station is a few blocks this way."

"Train station? Kagome, it'd be faster if I ran us home."

"You said you were tired."

"I can handle carrying you for a few miles." Kouga brushed his thick bangs out of his face and rubbed his face tiredly. "Trust me."

Kagome didn't look convinced but he nodded. "Fine." She frowned when Kouga knelt down in front of her. "What are you doing?"

"What's wrong?" Kouga looked at her from over his shoulder. "Get on."

Kagome looked between his back and his face. "Can you just carry me in your arms? I don't know if I can hold on."

Straightening up, Kouga took her shoulders, the corners of his mouth falling at the trace of hysteria in her voice. "Yeah, of course." He gently picked her up and she automatically wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Burying her head into his chest, Kagome assured him, "I just want to go home."

"Okay. Then let's go home."

As Kagome pressed herself deeper into Kouga's chest, she allowed the rhythmic swaying of his running lull her into a blissfully dreamless sleep as exhaustion had its way. When she next woke up, she rubbed her eyes to clear her vision, her eyes adjusting to the darkness in her bedroom. She reached for the clock on her bedside table, nearly groaning at the glowing display.

' _It can't be five in the morning… go back to sleep, Kagome. You need more than three and a half hours of sleep or you'll die._ '

Kagome rolled her eyes at herself and covered her face with her hands. _'Okay, that was a slight overreaction. Maybe I just need to walk around. Or maybe eat myself into a food coma._ ' She frowned. ' _Souta and I left the house in such a rush after Kouga and Inuyasha ran off. The mess of plates we dropped… The_ food _.'_

Turning over her shoulder slowly, Kagome's face softened at her sleeping husband. Kouga's face was free of any wrinkles and the crease between his brows that usually plagued him when he was working. His mouth was slack, lips slightly parted as the rhythmic sound of his breathing seemed thunderous in the quiet bedroom. Perhaps what amused her the most, and always would, was the glossy, dark hair that spilled over his pillow and mingled with her own hair. He was never caught awake without his hair pulled up in a high ponytail. A recurring conversation they shared was Kagome teasing him for using her hair products.

She smiled gently at him, running the tips of her fingers through his hair. She stilled her hand when Kouga's breathing hitched. He grumbled and rolled towards her. Kagome quickly leaned over him to give him a small kiss on his cheek. He made a face as she pulled away but after she pressed her palm against his cheek soothingly, he relaxed and fell into a deep sleep once more.

' _He must really be exhausted._ '

Kagome sighed and frowned at the thin red lines that crisscrossed against his bare torso. The discolorations— varying shades of purples, blues, and yellow— marring his skin looked much better than she expected when he initially told her he was injured. He was right, of course. The marks were well on their way towards being completely healed. They'd be gone by the time he woke up to get ready for work. Once again, Kagome found herself having to pull her hand away as she was unconsciously tracing the small scratches on his chest with her fingers.

With another sigh, Kagome carefully extricated herself from the tangle of sheets and tucked them around her husband before quietly making her way downstairs, the only sound being the quiet pats of her barefoot toes against the hardwood floor. Reaching the sliding glass doors that led to the deck, Kagome tightened her robe around her, thankful and touched that Kouga had also changed her into comfortable pajamas before going to bed himself.

' _He really is good to me,'_ she mused.

Expecting to see a mess of shards and the table full of ruined food, half-eaten by hungry animals from the nearby woods, Kagome's jaw dropped at the sight before her. The mess of ceramic and glass was gone. The table was cleared. Her suspicion nagging at her, Kagome ventured near the side of the house, where they kept all of the trash, and saw new bags of trash. Going back into the house, Kagome peered into the dishwasher, surprised to find it empty.

' _Surely, Kouga didn't throw out the tableware…_ '

Kagome reached above to the cabinets where they kept their dinnerware and her gaze softened at all of the clean, neatly piled dishes. "Oh Kouga…" she breathed, her heart swelling with appreciation for the man sleeping upstairs.

Her stomach dropped as she remembered her behavior over the past few months since Inuyasha's arrival. Kagome felt the nasty twinge of guilt in her stomach and chewed on her bottom lip. She walked back out onto her deck, leaning over the railing and turning her gaze upwards. As usual, the inky sky was dark with the occasional twinkle of a star, the lights of Tokyo decreasing the chance to see the vast expanse of the galaxy. The full moon bathed her in its silvery glow and she stared at the ethereal quality lent to her skin.

Kagome lowered her chin onto her bent arms and the corners of her mouth fell. A line appeared as her eyebrows furrowed. It was too much for one person to bear. And on top of it, her father was nearly killed. Her eyes squeezed shut as the pain and anxiety took hold and Kagome took two shuddering breaths before opening her eyes again. The tension was building up inside and Kagome attempted another deep breath before she couldn't take it and slammed her hands angrily against the railing repeatedly, a small shriek escaping her by the last hit.

"Why do I feel so damn helpless?" she moaned quietly.

Her palms were red and she winced. "Everything's just so out of control," she mumbled.

Her heart ached at that moment for her mother. Before she could help it, tears began to streak down her cheeks and Kagome lifted her eyes towards the sky again. "Mama, I really need your help right now," she whispered. "I miss you so much."

Satori's death was the last time Kagome had felt so helpless… hopeless. Her world had spun out of control and Kagome would have lost it if it weren't for the one thing that had held onto her, grounded her throughout the entire ordeal.

Inuyasha.

' _But he's part of the problem now. I can't… I can't go to him, can I? And it's not fair of me to ask that of him. I'm with Kouga now. It should be Kouga I turn to, shouldn't it? But I need to get answers. Solve at least one of the problems.'_

Kagome's mouth set into a firm line.

' _If I can't do anything about my father, then I'm going to make damn sure to be done with all of this drama. It's been five years in the making and I'm going to get some closure.'_

Kagome reentered the house and rummaged through her coat pocket for her cell phone.

* * *

Absentmindedly running a towel through his damp hair, Inuyasha stared out over the city from behind the glass wall. The lights from the nightlife below were all that illuminated Inuyasha's dark apartment. He hissed when he touched the area on his head that had scraped against the concrete after the explosion. It had closed up a while ago but was now in the sore phase of healing. He scowled to himself as he recalled the effort it took to wash the dried blood from his scalp and hair.

He carelessly dropped the towel onto the floor before turning to head to the kitchen and answer the call of his empty stomach. But just as Inuyasha began to walk out of his bedroom, he could hear his mother's gentle voice in his head, scolding him for leaving a mess. He sighed and turned around to pick up the damp piece of fabric and hang it up in the still steamy bathroom. While in there, he wiped at the fogged up mirror to inspect the bandages he wrapped around his rib cage. The area on his right side was bruised and parts of it weren't completely covered by the white gauze, the purple blotchiness peeking out.

The pain was much less intense, though he still had to fight a grimace if he touched his side. He glared at the rib belt he nearly tore apart with his claws when he tried to take it off before his shower.

"Probably didn't even need that. Fucking Miroku was probably messing with me," he grumbled.

His stomach joined in on the grumbling and he began his original journey to the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, he made a face at how empty it was, save for a few cases of bear, a pitcher of filtered water, a carton of milk whose viability he wasn't quite sure of, and a roast chicken wrapped in plastic that he guessed his mother had made and snuck in using her set of keys. Inuyasha appreciated the gesture but didn't think he could stomach something quite so heavy before succumbing to the sleep he so desperately craved.

Reaching up to open his favorite set of cabinets in the entire kitchen, Inuyasha pulled out the plastic container and removed the plastic shrink wrap before filling it with water and putting it into the microwave. He breathed deeply as the salty, savory smell of the instant noodles wafted out of the microwave. He leaned against the counter, a pair of chopsticks already in his hand. Once the microwave beeped, indicating his ramen was ready, Inuyasha eagerly pulled the steaming bowl out and brought the noodles to his lips, the steam wafting up and heating his mouth.

As he was about to close his mouth over the noodles, there was a short knock on his door. He slammed down his food and glared at his door.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me."

He picked up the bowl and chose to ignore whoever was at his door. Just as the noodles were about to make their way past his lips, there was another knock on his door. With an aggravated growl, Inuyasha put down his food again and stomped over to his door and threw open the door.

"Miroku, you bastard, I don't know how the fuck you found out where I live, but you're the one who told me I had to get some sleep and—"

Inuyasha sucked in a sharp breath when he saw who was standing in front of him. Instead of his so-called best friend, his current guest stood a full head shorter than Miroku and with longer hair and warm, honey brown eyes. She looked up at him with a nervous resolve, biting down on her lower lip in uncertainty. However, her body language clearly indicated that she wasn't going anywhere soon— her arms were crossed over her chest and she stood tall without shifting her weight.

"Sorry," she said quietly. "I, uh, I couldn't sleep," she explained. Kagome looked down briefly before meeting his gaze. "I think we need to talk."

Staring at her for a second too long, Inuyasha blinked at her before surprising himself by stepping back, giving her enough leeway to pass through the door and into the apartment. He closed the door after her and when he turned, found her staring at his apartment in curiosity.

"Uh… how did you find my address?"

"The directory," she replied simply.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at her. She answered _too_ simply. "I thought I had taken myself off of the public directory."

Kagome shrugged nonchalantly. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed even more. He appraised her shrewdly.

"You did something all lawyer-y didn't you? Looked me up using a database or something?"

She was silent for a heartbeat before a small smile curved her lips. Teasing, she countered, "You should really be more careful when you drive. You're not as slick as you thought. You're all over the traffic court's records. A lot of unpaid tickets."

"That's a load of bullshit." Inuyasha couldn't help the smirk that crept up onto his face. "I'm the perfect driver."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't go that far, but you're right I didn't use the traffic courts. I just called Miroku and had him look over your file from tonight."

Inuyasha shook his head at her. "That might be considered stalking."

"It's not," she quipped. "And trust me, I know. I'm a lawyer," she stage whispered, mocking his earlier accusation. Kagome opened her mouth to continue but paused and turned her attention towards the kitchen. "Ramen? I thought you were sleeping?"

"My stomach was angry at me."

"Well I won't keep you from your ramen. I know better than that."

He couldn't help but grin at her appreciatively before leading her from the entrance hallway to his open plan kitchen and living room. Kagome raised her eyebrows at the glass wall in the living room, admiring the view. The sound of slurping recaptured her attention and she sat opposite Inuyasha at the kitchen island, removing her coat and hanging it on the back of her chair.

"Suits you," she commented.

His mouth full, he gulped noisily before explaining, "I had the entire wall knocked out on that side of the apartment and replaced with glass."

"Well you always did hate feeling confined."

Inuyasha set aside the now empty bowl and placed both hands on the island, stretching his arms out as he leaned forward with raised eyebrows at her loaded comment. "I'm pretty sure you didn't come into the middle of the city from the suburbs, in your pajamas at four in the morning to see how I've renovated my apartment."

Kagome's face fell and she nodded, blushing as he brought her attention that she was still wearing her soft, flannel button down shirt and matching pants. "At least I managed to take the time to change from my robe to a proper coat. Unlike some people who can't even bother to put on a shirt."

"Wasn't exactly expecting company at four in the morning, was I?" he shot back.

Pursing her lips, Kagome cast him a pointed glare. "Shouldn't you be wearing a rib belt?" she deflected.

"Don't need it. All healed up."

She scoffed at him. "Stubborn idiot."

Inuyasha glared at her. "Hanyou," he reminded her.

She cast a cursory glance at his ears but didn't respond. He straightened up, his arms folding across his chest and he cocked his head at her.

"Come on, Kagome. I haven't slept yet and I have a lot of work to do for the next few days that will also keep me from getting any sleep."

"Fine. I just want to settle everything and…" she sighed, "Reach some kind of resolution." Kagome looked down at her hands. "I mean, we agreed that we could work on being back in each other's lives, right? That's what we were talking about before everything happened. I suppose after what happened at the hospital, it hit me that the only way it can happen is if we get everything out in the open and be done with the past."

"Be done with it?" he echoed.

Kagome offered him a weak smile. "It's the only way we can move on, isn't it?"

Inuyasha stared at her, the dim light managing to reflect in his golden eyes, giving them an ethereal glow. Kagome nearly lost her breath as he looked at her. The usually hard gaze was soft, vulnerable— exposed. She knew that she was one of the very few people to have seen them like that.

"Yeah. Sure."

He waited for her to begin, wanted to let her know that she was the one in charge. Kagome continued to stare at him, her lips slightly parted as she tried to think of how to start. She laughed at herself and hurriedly pushed off of the tall barstool, grabbing her coat and throwing it on.

"Kagome?"

"I'm such an idiot. I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I don't know what I was thinking coming here in the middle of the night. You're obviously hurt and we both need sleep and I just wasn't thinking. Maybe we should just forget about it and—"

"Hey! You're backing out?"

"— this is highly inappropriate and rude. I'm just delirious. This isn't the right time—"

Inuyasha started and rushed around the kitchen island to hurry after her as she made a beeline for his front door.

"Oi! You're not running away from me this time! Kagome!"


	14. Chapter 14

_Last Time…_

_He waited for her to begin, wanted to let her know that she was the one in charge. Kagome continued to stare at him, her lips slightly parted as she tried to think of how to start. She laughed at herself and hurriedly pushed off of the tall barstool, grabbing her coat and throwing it on._

" _Kagome?"_

" _I'm such an idiot. I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I don't know what I was thinking coming here in the middle of the night. You're obviously hurt and we both need sleep and I just wasn't thinking. Maybe we should just forget about it and—"_

" _Hey! You're backing out?"_

"— _this is highly inappropriate and rude. I'm just delirious. This isn't the right time—"_

_Inuyasha started and rushed around the kitchen island to hurry after her as she made a beeline for his front door._

" _Oi! You're not running away from me this time! Kagome!"_

* * *

Kagome was already at the door and twisted the doorknob, pulling it open. As she was stepping through the threshold, the wind was knocked out of her when the door slammed closed and she was pulled backwards simultaneously. Kagome looked up and saw Inuyasha's large hand splayed on the door, keeping it closed while she felt his other arm around her waist. Before she could yell at him, the arm around her waist jerked away suddenly while hooked and she spun around from the momentum. Inuyasha then stepped closer towards her, trapping her between his body and the door.

"Quit running away," he growled. He considered her before leaning away from her. "You know I'll catch you and force you to speak."

"I'm allowed to change my mind, aren't I? Now let me go, Inuyasha!"

"Hell no! You don't get to change your mind when you drop by unannounced at four in the fucking morning!"

Kagome ignored him and moved to duck under his outstretched arm but Inuyasha was too fast for her and blocked her way.

"Inuyasha Takado! You get out of my way!"

"No!" he roared. "I let you walk away from me before and look at what happened!"

"Inuyasha!"

He lowered his face towards hers and she reared backwards, pressing against the door.

"Kagome, you're going to listen to me, damn it! I've been the nice guy since I came back because I feel like shit, but you need to remember that you're not the only one who got hurt!"

She pushed at him and Inuyasha couldn't help but grimace and let out a harsh groan at the pain that flared up on his side and chest.

Kagome froze and stared at him with wide eyes. "Inuyasha?" She reached out her hands again, gingerly running her fingers against his side. "I'm sorry," she murmured.

Inuyasha swallowed nervously and pulled his arm away from the door, gently but firmly taking her hand off. He huffed and turned away from her, stubbornly keeping his gaze off to the side.

"I haven't been able to get the image of you driving away with tears in your eyes out of my head for five years," he whispered, his voice raspy. "I haven't been able to forget the look in your eyes or the scent of your tears. They've left the biggest scars."

He shook his head slowly. "I hate that it was my own fault it got so out of hand and that I know it wouldn't be like this if I wasn't so stupid." He laughed without humor in his voice. "My own words haunt me. I didn't even try to talk it over with you. I fucking asked if it really mattered."

Turning back to face her, "Of _course_ it mattered," he said. "Our relationship was the most precious thing I ever had. _You were_. I've learned my lesson. If you're ready to talk about it, then so am I."

All of the pride left Kagome and as she sighed, her shoulders slumped and she held her palms up. "So you really want to do this right now?"

"No time like the present. And with the way the night's gone, I don't know how much time I have left."

Kagome blanched and Inuyasha hurried to take back his words. Kagome beat him to it. "What would you want on your tombstone?" she asked quietly.

His eyes widening, Inuyasha clarified, "Kagome, I was just kidding."

"I know. But humor me. What do you want?"

Inuyasha shook his head at her. "Keh."

With a snort, Kagome lifted an eyebrow, commenting dryly, "Well that's fitting."

Inuyasha glared at her and they rolled their eyes at each other. The silence grew and the momentary lightheartedness faded. Inuyasha's face fell and he looked at her with concern.

"What brought this along?"

Kagome stared down at her feet, her thick bangs casting a shadow over her eyes, and shrugged meekly. "Do you remember what it says on my mother's tombstone?"

Inuyasha nodded, every moment of that period in their lives ingrained in his memory. The salty smell of Kagome's tears as they soaked into his shirt when she cried, causing the fabric to stick to his chest. The raspy sound of her wheezing in between sobs that racked her body late at night. The comforting scent of peonies and honey that always calmed him and gave him the strength to be strong for her.

"She was a woman, proud and willful, yet kind and giving. Always faithful, with a joy of living. Her health was frail. But her spirit was strong. Beloved wife, mother, and friend. One of a kind and dearly missed," he recited like a prayer.

Kagome lifted her head, a small, bittersweet smile on her lips. She made a small humming sound and nodded. "It's all true. But it's not…" She shook her head and wrinkled her nose. "It's not enough." She ducked her head again.

Gently using his forefinger to lift her chin, Inuyasha prodded softly, "Kagome, you never answered my question."

"It's just with everything happening with my dad tonight… I don't know. I feel so helpless," she admitted to him. "And I thought I was coming here so that in some strange way, I'd be taking control of something and solving a problem. But I don't know anymore."

 _'I just wanted to see you...'_ she thought sadly.

"Keh. Your old man's gonna be fine if he's half as tough as you are. Kagome, you have nothing to worry about." He sighed and stifled a yawn. "The two of us are pretty beat and I think you need to head back and get some sleep. See your old man in the morning. I'll meet you there and we can talk about whatever the hell you want." He hesitated before adding, "I think we should have Ayame there."

Kagome's head jerked out of his touch. She was about to protest but closed her mouth. "You're right. The three of us should just get everything out in the open," she relented. "I'm sorry about coming over."

"I'm not."

"I'm sorry about hurting you."

"So am I."

They shared a glance and Kagome timidly made to embrace him without hurting him again. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and pulled her to him tightly, ignoring the flash of pain throughout his torso.

"No more hurting each other," Kagome murmured into his chest.

"I can take whatever you throw at me."

Kagome smiled into his chest and stepped back. "I should get back."

Inuyasha smiled at her, but it didn't reach his eyes. "You should also shower or something."

"Are you saying I smell?" Kagome lifted an eyebrow at him.

"No… but Kouga's probably going to smell me."

Kagome blinked at him and blushed. "Oh."

Inuyasha snorted. "Yeah. Oh."

"I should probably call another cab."

"You called a cab? At this hour? Kagome, that's fucking expensive."

"Would you rather I walked here?"

"No, but come on. There's a faster and cheaper way to get you home."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her further into the apartment, past the kitchen and living room and into the last room at the end of the hall. Kagome recognized it as his bedroom and watched as he slid open a glass door and pulled her onto the balcony before crouching down in front of her.

"Inuyasha?"

"Don't tell me you forgot how to do this," he complained.

"Of course not!"

Kagome sighed and grasped his shoulders, feeling his hands firmly grip the back of her knees. She couldn't fight the smile that appeared at his first powerful leap into the air and across rooftops. A shiver of excitement traveled through her and she savored her only chance at flight and the familiarity of sharing it with Inuyasha.

"You cold?" he called back, casting her a quick glance.

"I'm fine!"

The rest of the short trip passed in silence and Inuyasha finally landed with a soft thud on the grass in her backyard. They both looked at the large house, still dark and quiet. Kagome climbed off and waited for Inuyasha to stand.

"You have a key or you need me to pick a lock?" He held up a clawed finger.

"We're not seventeen anymore, Inuyasha." Kagome rolled her eyes. "I don't need your help sneaking into my house. Besides I left the backdoor unlocked."

"You left your door unlocked?" he yelled.

Kagome slapped his shoulder, shushing him. "Are you trying to wake up my neighbors? Kouga?"

Lowering his voice, Inuyasha hissed, "Your father was nearly killed after an attempt on his life and you, as his daughter and possible future target, leave your home unlocked?"

"Okay, you're right." She groaned. "Stop smirking at me like that!" Kagome stomped away but turned around with an exasperated smile. "I'll see you at the hospital tomorrow?"

Inuyasha gave her a half-smile. "I'll be there."

* * *

Kagome yawned again, her eyelids drooping as she sat in the armchair in the corner of her father's hospital room.

"Jeez, sis. I thought the reason I was stuck here all night was so that you could get some sleep."

Kouga chuckled and told Souta, "I woke up around five in the morning because your sister was busy taking a shower. Apparently, she woke up around three and couldn't get back to sleep."

With another yawn, Kagome countered, "Hot showers usually make me sleepy."

"You know, I think I woke up when you did," he said carefully.

Kagome nodded lazily. "Yeah you started waking up but went back to sleep. I didn't want to keep you up anyway. I tried eating and taking a walk but they didn't do any good, either."

There was a knock on the door and Souta opened it, revealing Miroku and an obviously grouchy Inuyasha. Souta and Miroku shared a fist bump while Souta blew a low whistle at Inuyasha's countenance. Inuyasha glared at the younger boy before leaning against the wall with a pout.

"What's up with him?"

"Pig-headed bastard didn't keep the rib belt on last night. It shifted before it completely healed so we had to break it again so that it would set correctly." Miroku shook his head. "Maybe I should have used superglue to keep the belt on you."

"I took it off when I showered okay? And my ribs felt fine so I didn't think I had to put it back on, so shut the hell up already. I'm the one with a broken rib."

"It shifted quite a bit. What the hell were you doing last night, Inuyasha? Running a marathon? I told you to take it easy when you decided to run home last night."

"I thought I did," he mumbled, a blush staining his cheeks.

"X-ray looks like you were hiking Mt. Fuji with a pack, not just running."

"Fuck off, Miroku." Inuyasha met Kagome's eyes for a split second and he inwardly groaned at the look on her face. He shook his head at her curtly, cutting off the guilt.

The door opened once more and Ayame stepped in, pausing awkwardly when she saw the room's occupants before moving towards Sadao and checking his vitals on the monitors. "He looks like he's stable. Been this way for the past few hours."

Kagome frowned. "You've been here all night?"

Ayame stared at her before nodding. "Yes, Higurashi-san. I work the night shifts." She laughed quietly. "Better pay and no offense, but it's when visiting hours are done and I don't have to deal with crazy families."

Kagome smiled back at her. "Kagome," she reminded her. "You can call me Kagome. And I get it."

"Not that you guys are crazy!" Ayame rushed to say. "I just meant in general."

Miroku snorted. "I don't know. I've had my fair share of crazy relatives to deal with and I think these guys are pretty insane."

Kagome rose from the armchair and gestured towards the door. "Souta told me that you were nice enough to let him sleep through the night. I guess that means I should take care of the paperwork from last night?"

"Oh, sure. If you'll just come with me to the nurse's station. I left it in your father's file."

Kouga stopped Kagome as she made her way to leave. "Hey, I should get going soon and get started on catching the sons of bitches who did this. I'll pick you up after work?"

"If you even bother coming home tonight," Kagome teased knowingly.

"Inuyasha'll make me come home. Right, mutt?"

Inuyasha glared at him. "Fuck you."

Kouga grinned. "See?"

"Okay. Stay safe, okay?"

"Hey Kouga, mind dropping me off at the dorm? I have a lot of work to catch up on."

"No problem. Go ahead and wait for me in the car." He tossed his keys at Souta, who gave everyone a quick wave as he left the room.

"I'll see you later," Kouga promised Kagome. They shared a kiss before Kouga passed Inuyasha at the door. "Ready?"

Miroku interrupted, "Inuyasha will have to join you later on, Kouga. Since the idiot had to have me break his rib again, I'm keeping him here until I'm sure he won't do something stupid and cause it to shift again."

With a shrug, Kouga slapped hands with Miroku. "Fine. Have fun playing doctor, you two."

Inuyasha glared after the wolf youkai. "That deserved a punch in the mouth."

"Inuyasha," Kagome warned. As she and Ayame left the room, she motioned for Inuyasha to follow.

Miroku caught the gesture and shook his head. "Have fun," he said sarcastically, aware of what was about to happen between the three of them.

"Not likely," Inuyasha muttered before following them.

Kagome gently held Ayame by the shoulder to get her attention. "Before we do all of that, do you think we could talk?"

Ayame raised her eyebrows and her shoulders tensed up underneath Kagome's fingers, but she nodded. "Yeah."

She led her past the double doors that allowed entrance into the wing and into a brightly lit, bare hallway lined with benches against the wall. It was the waiting area for family members and loved ones before they were allowed to see patients. Ayame glanced nervously over her shoulder when she sensed Inuyasha following the two of them. She sat down on a bench and Kagome sat down next to her, Inuyasha preferring to lean on the wall opposite them.

Kagome chewed on her lower lip nervously. "Inuyasha and I were talking and we thought that it would be better for everyone if the three of us just got everything out and be done with this whole mess."

"Kagome, I don't know much I can tell you how sorry I am."

Giving her an understanding smile, Kagome took her hand in hers. "I believe you. But I think all three of us have something to be sorry about. Why don't the two of you just go through it as objectively as possible and clear everything up?"

Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow up at her objective, lawyer-trained tone.

Ayame turned her emerald eyes to Inuyasha, who had an impassive mask on his face. He sighed and nodded at her.

Ayame turned back to Kagome and explained, "Inuyasha and I grew up together," she said plainly. "We lived in a danchi in Adachi-ku where we were the only two kids relatively close in age so we were kind of stuck together, I suppose."

Kagome looked at Inuyasha to gauge his expression, which he still kept carefully impassive.

"In any case," Ayame continued, "We grew up together and I don't know about him, but I considered him my best friend."

Inuyasha snorted. "Quit being so stupid. Of course you were my best friend. You were the only one in the beginning who was still my friend. Even Kichirou and Shoji avoided me at first…"

"Kichirou and Shoji?" Kagome asked.

"Our other friends," Ayame supplied. She shrugged. "I haven't seen them that often since university."

Inuyasha scuffed his foot against the floor. "I haven't talked to them since high school," he muttered.

Ayame frowned at him. "You know that they still reminisce about the stupid pranks the three of you did in junior high? Every time they get drunk out of their minds, it's all 'Remember when Inuyasha and I did this?' or 'How about when Inuyasha… whatever?' You could join us the next time we meet up."

Inuyasha shrugged noncommittally and Ayame frowned.

"Uh, anyway, we had gotten into the same high school but then Inuyasha told me he was moving to Nakano and was transferring to Horikoshi." She sighed. "He promised that nothing would change, but I mean, of course everything was going to change. In the beginning, we were able to hang out during weekends and after school. But after a while…"

"I was an asshole, okay?" Inuyasha scoffed. "I kept showing up late or forgetting or I didn't return phone calls and to be honest, I was a pretty shitty friend."

Kagome frowned. "It's because of us, isn't it?"

"I just didn't know how to manage my time between two different circles of people. And you guys don't exactly come from the same place Ayame and me came from." He rubbed the back of his neck. "The last time Ayame and I had plans, I was running late again."

"I saw you," Ayame whispered.

"You what?"

"I saw you coming around the corner with your friends. Kagome, Kouga, even Miroku. I didn't remember Kouga and Miroku until I saw you again last night. I was wondering why they looked familiar." She bit down on her lip and her face scrunched up. "Anyway, I overheard your conversation and… I mean, Inuyasha had talked about you before, Kagome, but he didn't really say much other than he thought you were a good friend. And then I heard you guys talking about a dance and being together so I— I ran."

"You ran?" Inuyasha asked incredulously, his voice rising.

"Inuyasha—"

Ayame rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about it, Kagome. I'm surprisingly still used to that. But yeah. I mean, I guess I always had a crush on him, even when I was a little girl. I thought that he just forgot about me and then I decided to forget about him."

Kagome nodded understandingly. "It's a lot harder than it sounds," she sighed.

Inuyasha's ears flicked at her quiet admission. He cleared his throat before explaining, "Ayame, I was on my way to meet you. I called you afterwards but you rejected all of my calls."

"He even offered to introduce you to me," Kagome interjected. "I really wanted to meet you. Inuyasha had told me a lot about you."

Flushing, Ayame felt as though she were reduced to the timid, awkward girl she felt like in high school. "Oh…"

"But I thought you got sick of me so I decided to leave you alone. I didn't think I'd run into you again until that night." Inuyasha dropped his arms.

"Neither did I."

Kagome glanced at Inuyasha before asking Ayame, "So how messed up was he?"

"Well I don't know how much he drank, but whatever they were smoking, and from what I smelled, it smelled like several things, it wasn't particularly pleasant for our noses. But my friend was human and wanted me to go with her, so I just rubbed some menthol gel on my nose to block the smell."

"I don't know… I took a few shots. It was definitely that shit that they were smoking that got to me though. No way I'd get so fucked up from a couple of shots, unless some bastard messed with them to hook up with girls."

"Some baka probably did. Miroku was in the middle of dragging Inuyasha out of the house before I offered to help." Ayame cringed. "Which probably wasn't that great of an idea since I had been drinking, too."

"Drunk person taking care of a crossfaded person. Horrible idea," Inuyasha said with a small, sarcastic laugh.

"Puked before he got into the car," Ayame quipped. "Kept insisting that he could take care of himself and that I should just drop him off, but I thought someone should watch him in case he threw up again. He said he didn't want to wake you up."

She looked down at her hands. "He cleaned up at my place and then… I don't know—"

"I was being an asshole and accused her of ditching me—"

"I blamed _him_ for ditching me—"

"We kept yelling at each other—"

"And I kissed him. Pushed him against the wall and… I don't know. I guess I just lost control of everything. But then he pushed me off and yelled at me. He told me that his girlfriend was still the pretty girl I saw him with in high school." Ayame shook her head. "I'm so sorry, Kagome."

Kagome looked at Inuyasha. " _That_ was what you thought was so unforgivable?"

Inuyasha scowled and yelled, "If I saw you kissing some other guy, I'd fucking rip his head off. So yeah, I thought it was pretty bad. Are you telling me that if I told you what happened, you wouldn't have been pissed?"

Kagome stood and pointed a finger at him. "No, I would have been more than pissed. I'd be _furious_. Yeah, there were mitigating circumstances like the fact that you were messed up, but… part of you had to want that," she finished softly. "That hurts the most. But eventually, I would have gotten over it. Because you were honest about it and told me right after."

Ayame cleared her throat uncomfortably. "I think my part in this is over. The rest is up to you two. Kagome, I'll be at the nurses' station with that paperwork."

Kagome stopped her and nodded at her. "Thanks, Ayame."

The auburn-haired woman smiled at her, relieved that there seemed to be no hard feelings. "Good luck." Kagome blinked at her in confusion and Ayame shrugged. "Just… good luck."

Inuyasha and Kagome watched Ayame walk away, through the double doors. Kagome sat back down on the bench and stared at her hands. "You know… it's strange."

"What is?" Inuyasha asked, an eyebrow arching at her.

"When you get into a relationship, there are really only two options— marriage or you break up. I thought that with us… if we ever broke up, it'd…" She struggled for the right words.

"It'd what?" he prompted, his irritation evident in his voice.

"I don't know," she lifted her shoulders. "I thought there'd be _more_."

"More," he echoed. "Explain."

With another shrug she offered, "More yelling, more fight in the both of us, more _passion_. I mean, isn't that what really started our whole relationship? The arguments— the, the fighting and then the making up. How much of ourselves we poured into the relationship?"

Inuyasha frowned at her. "I gave up," he said simply.

Kagome turned towards him, her honey eyes glassy and her brow furrowed. "Why?" she demanded.

As Inuyasha began to lift his shoulders in a shrug, Kagome's expression shifted, her pout turning into a firm line as her lips pressed together and her gaze penetrated. "No, you know why. Come on, Inuyasha, was it because you got tired of it?"

"No," Inuyasha insisted, his own anger rising at her accusation.

"You didn't love me?"

"I loved you with everything I had. Kagome you were the most important person in my life."

"So what changed?"

"Before I confessed to you that morning, I'd spent hours," he winced, "I _agonized_ over how to tell you. I mourned the loss of our future. I told you everything with the mindset that it was already over. But honestly? Nothing changed. I never stopped. You're still…"

Inuyasha sighed and hunkered down, joining her on the bench, resting his forearms on his knees and staring at his clasped hands.

Kagome stared at him, wide eyed and holding her breath. She had never known Inuyasha to do well with expressing himself with words.

"Through all of the shit that I went through growing up— until I met you. For being a hanyou. For being a bastard kid. Never getting the chance to know my old man. For essentially being myself. Through all of that shit, our break up's left the biggest scar on my heart."

Kagome's hand entered his line of vision as she laid it on top of his hands. He looked up and turned to her, but she was staring resolutely at their hands.

"I didn't mean to bring up any bad feelings, Inuyasha. I just wanted some closure. I mean, for five years, I didn't really have an explanation or… much of anything. There was no reason as to why someone I loved just left me… it was too close—" a hiccup interrupted her— "It was too close to Mama," she whispered, her voice thick.

Inuyasha took her hand in one of his as the other arm reached around her shoulders and squeezed her tight. She laid her head on his shoulder and Inuyasha rest his chin on the crown of her head. "I'm sorry."

"Me too," she sniffed. With her free hand she wiped at her eyes. "I guess I didn't realize how bad I needed that until you came back. I had to deal with it. Kami, the other night Kouga tried to carry me on his back the way you used to, the way you did last night, but I couldn't handle it."

"I'm sorry," he repeated. He pulled her closer and quickly pressed his lips to her hair. "I'm sorry."

"I shouldn't have run away from you."

"Me neither," he said. "The difference is that you told me you just needed time. I flat out ran away. You know, I kept telling myself that it was so that I couldn't hurt you anymore, but I can't understand why I thought leaving you behind was a good idea. I can't do it again."

"After all of the trial and error and false starts the past few months, I think we're finally getting off on the right foot now. I've made peace with everything. There's no more anger. I'm sorry for all of the guilt trips I gave you."

"No you're not," he scoffed.

"Hey I am!"

"Keh."

Kagome laughed at him and Inuyasha was pleased to hear the light, airy sound. "I should probably let you get back to work. Catch the bad guys and all."

"Maybe," he said softly. "But first, Miroku's got to give me the green light."

"I'm sure you'll be up to par in a few hours. Be safe, Inuyasha."

They stood and Kagome gave him a quick hug before walking away, towards the double doors.


	15. Chapter 15

_Last Time…_

" _After all of the trial and error and false starts the past few months, I think we're finally getting off on the right foot now. I've made peace with everything. There's no more anger. I'm sorry for all of the guilt trips I gave you."_

" _No you're not," he scoffed._

" _Hey I am!"_

" _Keh."_

_Kagome laughed at him and Inuyasha was pleased to hear the light, airy sound. "I should probably let you get back to work. Catch the bad guys and all."_

" _Maybe," he said softly. "But first, Miroku's got to give me the green light."_

" _I'm sure you'll be up to par in a few hours."_

_They stood and Kagome gave him a quick hug before walking away, towards the double doors._

* * *

Kagome gave her father an encouraging smile, holding his hand tightly as he navigated the front steps slowly. Sadao Higurashi's physical therapy had just begun, but they had left the session with high hopes for complete rehabilitation. They'd come a long way in the past few months.

Kagome was forced to deal with the possibility of losing her father. His doctor informed them that Sadao had suffered heavy brain trauma from all of the blows to his head. Multiple contusions and a broken orbital bone. The scariest threat was the skull fracture. Doctors told her that pieces of bone may have cut into the brain and cause further problems.

A broken leg, hit right at the knee. Broken kneecap that required surgery and the installation of metal wires, pins, and screws to put the broken bones back together. He would walk again, but only after arduous physical therapy and probably with the use of a cane. Would've been a different story if he were younger. He was extremely lucky.

Bruised ribs, a dislocated shoulder, and a myriad of cuts interspersed all over his torso and head to finish the list of the physical damage the attack had inflicted on Sadao Higurashi. They were just beginning to heal from the emotional scars. But they did it together.

Kagome had grasped onto the dimmest glimmer of hope that her father would end up fine. It had taken her the first month to try and reconcile it with the heaviness of having to steel herself against the probability of burying another parent. The image of a third tombstone next to her mother's and older brother's haunted her for weeks.

Her father, therefore, became her first priority, and Kagome requested an indefinite leave of absence from the firm. She was willing to take an unpaid leave, but she was touched and surprised when the firm gave her paid leave, though at a much lower salary than she'd normally receive. Then again, Sadao Higurashi was well known in legal circles. She joked that Kouga would be the one to leave her alone at home, but it turned out that it was the other way around. Kagome spent her nights in the hospital at her father's side and her days were spent in various offices in hospitals and clinics all over Tokyo to find a way to make her father better. The best surgeons and diagnosticians. The newest medical innovations and technology.

"You okay, Dad?"

He grunted at her, his face tense with concentration and his grip tight as he lifted his bad leg up onto the next step shakily.

Kouga opened the front door and immediately moved to help Sadao up the stairs but Kagome shook her head, though she gave him a gracious smile. He pulled up and nodded, his arms falling to his sides. "I'll go get some iced tea ready."

"Thanks, Kouga."

"Yes—uhn!— thank you, son," Sadao panted.

Kagome kept her other hand hovering behind her father as he painstakingly climbed the last step and paused to take a deep breath. He released her hand and slowly made his way into the house. Kouga was quick to pull out a chair for him at the dining room table, a tall glass already in front of him, the sides of the tumbler dripping with condensed water. Sadao rested his hand briefly on Kouga's forearm in thanks before gulping quickly from the drink.

Lifting a shaky finger towards the door. "Kagome is getting my bags."

"I'll go grab them from her." Kouga met Kagome at the door. She was already closing the door behind her with her foot as she carried one duffel bag over her shoulder and dragged another suitcase behind her. "Here, let me get that." He held his arms out, ready to take the bags.

"No, it's fine. I've got it," she assured him.

Kouga rolled his eyes at her and pulled the duffel off of her shoulder, easily fighting her resistance.

"I know you do. I don't think anyone's ever figured out how you managed to carry around a bag that's bigger than you every time we had exams in high school," he joked. "Doesn't mean you should have to." He pushed down the extendable bar from the suitcase and easily lifted it using the grip. "Which bedroom is your dad staying in?"

"The guest bedroom on this floor, next to the bathroom. I don't want him to climb up or down any stairs if he doesn't have to."

"Okay."

"Hey! Kouga! You forgot something."

Kouga turned around and stared at her empty hands. "What?"

Kagome smiled and tiptoed towards him and left him with a lingering kiss. Kouga tried to follow her as she pulled away, but couldn't grab her because of the bags. "Kagome!" he whined.

She giggled and pushed him in the direction of the guest bedroom. "Go put the bags away. The others will be here soon for dinner."

Kouga sighed before going down the hallway to put the bags away. He called back, "Something's about to burn," he taunted.

Scowling at his back, Kagome nevertheless went back to the kitchen to check on Souta.

"Hey, Kouga informs me with his supernatural sense of smell that you are about to burn something."

Souta's eyes grew large with panic before he immediately put the dish he was holding onto the counter before throwing open the oven door. Quickly grabbing the pan, Souta hissed when he neglected to put on mitts or grab a potholder. Kagome shook her head in pity before moving him out of the way and towards the sink, reaching for one of the potholders she kept in a shallow drawer.

"Go run your hand under cold water." She took the pan and put it on the counter, sniffing the dish. "At least the food isn't ruined. Baked eggplant with miso sauce." Kagome sighed contently. "One of my favorites. And Dad's."

"Yeah, that's why I made it," Souta deadpanned. "Along with Mom's udon," he added quietly. Souta kept his gaze away from Kagome's as he turned towards the sink. He hissed when he finally put his hand under the stream of cold water.

"Lower the water pressure, Souta," she said gently. Kagome rolled her eyes at him and peered over his shoulder to look at his hand. "Kami Souta, when did you get so tall?" She stood on her tiptoes and lifted her chin to try and see over his shoulder.

Shifting, Souta let her see his hand. His fingers and the center of his palm were colored a shade between red and purple, looking more like a bruise than a burn. Kagome rubbed his shoulder soothingly and patted him on the back before leaving the kitchen to head for the stairs.

"I'll go see if we have some burn ointment. If not, I think I have some aloe vera gel that'll work, also," she called back. "Just go and sit with Dad in the dining room! Keep your hand in a bowl of cold water! I'll bring the dishes out."

Kagome was detoured when the doorbell rang. As soon as she opened the door, her vision was obscured by a thick veil of brown hair and Kagome laughed when the air came back to her lungs. Returning the gesture, Kagome wrapped her arms around her best and oldest friend.

"Sango! I had no idea you were coming!" Kagome released Sango to glower at Miroku. "I thought you said she would still be out of town."

"Don't blame him, Kagome. I came home early and surprised him, too."

A cheeky smirk appeared on Miroku's face and his eyebrows moved suggestively. "Yeah, she did."

Sango immediately flushed and glared at her boyfriend, her hand twitching before Kagome pulled her away.

"Forget it, Sango. You should know by now. Come keep me company while I go find some burn ointment." As they walked away, Kagome turned over her shoulder to mock scowl at Miroku, who still had a bit of a dopey grin on his face.

"Burn ointment?"

"Souta burned himself while making dinner."

"Souta made dinner?" Sango chuckled. "I don't know whether to be surprised or abstain from dinner."

Kagome giggled. "Believe me, when he first tried cooking for us, I was almost ready to pay him to _not_. But he's gotten really good." She went into a bathroom and pulled open a cabinet to rummage through for a first aid kid. She glanced up for a second to share a secretive smile with Sango. "If you ask me, I think he learned to cook in order to impress a girl."

Leaning on the doorway, Sango grinned back. "He hasn't told you if he's seeing anyone?"

"Aha!" Kagome held up the tube of burn ointment triumphantly. She then gestured for Sango to follow her out of the bathroom. "No, as far as I know, he hasn't even thought of seeing someone since he broke up with Hitomi before they went off to university." A gleam entered her eyes. "Do you think Kohaku would know?"

Laughing, Sango rolled her eyes and teased, "I'll ask Kohaku next time I go back home to see him and Dad."

"I know you think I'm not being serious, but I am, Sango."

"Oh no, I believe you." Sango giggled. "Who would you be if you didn't want to meddle in someone else's personal business?"

Kagome pouted and playfully whined, "Sango!"

"Come on! Get that over to your brother!" Sango laughed. She took Kagome by the shoulders and pushed her back in the direction of the dining room, the two women feeling as though they were back in high school.

As they made their way back to the dining room, Kagome tossed the tube at Souta, who caught it gingerly with his other hand. Sango immediately had a charming smile on her face for Sadao, who returned it with a pleasant smile of his own.

"Higurashi-san," she greeted.

"Sango," he replied warmly, always having appreciated the girl he considered a second daughter. "How was Kyoto? Or was it Osaka?"

"Kyoto. It was lovely, I'm sure, but seeing as how I was cooped up inside in meetings all day, I'm afraid I didn't get a chance to see it." Sango's face fell slightly. "But how are you doing? I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit that often."

"No, no, I understand completely. You're young and are starting your own life. I told Kagome the same and that she didn't need to fuss after me."

"Dad, I wasn't fussing."

"You were fussing," Sadao argued. "And you still are." His face, however, wasn't as stern as his voice might have suggested. Sadao looked at his daughter with gratitude and love and Kagome returned the look with a smile.

"You're my father," Kagome said simply. "What else would I do?"

Kouga entered the dining room, a tray of food in his hands. "The others called and they're on their way. I thought I might start setting the table."

"Oh! That's great, Kouga. Let me help you," Kagome turned to head back into the kitchen, Kouga right behind her.

Kouga picked up the next tray of food, but Kagome took it from him and set it back down on the kitchen counter. She then took his hands in hers, interlacing their fingers for a moment and squeezing his hands before she slid her hands up his arms, resting them on his shoulders before sighing and resting her head against his chest. Kouga's arms instinctively tightened around her and he rested his cheek on the top of her head.

"I don't think I've thanked you enough these past few months," Kagome murmured. She sighed once more and snuggled deeper into his chest. "You've been so sweet and helpful and understanding and… and _strong_. I just don't know what I would have done if you weren't here."

"Aw, you would've been just fine, Kagome," Kouga assured her. "But I'm glad I was here. I wouldn't want it any other way."

Kagome lifted her head away from his chest and craned her neck up to look at him, a smile forming on her lips. She reached up and Kouga met her halfway, their lips meeting gently. Kouga sighed against her lips, his hands purposefully kneading her back as he pressed into her. Kagome relaxed against him and complied when Kouga parted his lips and coaxed her to do the same. He tasted her lips with his tongue and Kagome's hands tightened.

"Hey, Kago— oh I'm so sorry!"

Sango's cheeks reddened and she sucked in her lips, looking much like a child who didn't want to be scolded. Kagome and Kouga looked at each other and sighed. Kouga reached down to brush his fingers gently across Kagome's cheek.

"Don't worry about it, Sango. Kagome and I weren't exactly being inconspicuous."

Sango smiled bashfully at the couple. "I just wanted to see if the two of you needed help carrying dishes in."

Kagome looked as though she were about to refuse Sango's offer when the doorbell rang and Kouga's ears twitched almost imperceptibly.

"That'll be your grandfather, Kagome. I should go help him walk in."

She accepted one last kiss from him before turning back to Sango. "I guess I'll need your help after all."

They each balanced a large dish on each arm and headed back towards the dining room. Miroku immediately stood to help them, but Sango shook her head at her boyfriend. "Don't worry about it, this is nothing."

Miroku ignored her and took a platter from her, placing it on the table before taking one from Kagome and doing the same. "I know, I know. This is how you paid your way through college. Doesn't mean I should be less of a gentleman."

Kagome snorted. "That would imply you're a gentleman to begin with."

Overdramatically slapping his palm against his chest, Miroku shook his head and pouted. "Kagome, I can't believe that you would think so lowly of me after all of these years."

"It's _because_ of our friendship after all of these years that I think so lowly, Miroku." Kagome rolled her eyes and smiled at him. "I know you too well."

She gestured at the food on the table, "Well I guess the others are running late, so go ahead, dig in!"

Souta grinned. "You don't have to tell me twice!" He eagerly reached for the large dish filled with yakiniku.

"Souta." Souta froze and looked up at his father warily.

"Dad, don't worry," Kagome added, "We have plenty of food. And they won't mind if we start ahead."

"I'm aware of that Kagome," Sadao nodded at his son. "I just wanted to make sure that Souta gave me my favorite— the hone-tsuki-karubi."

"Did I hear someone mention yakiniku?"

Kagome turned and saw Kouga helping her elderly grandfather to his seat. "Jii-chan, you know that your dentures can't handle meat anymore."

"Doesn't matter, I'm still going to try. Souta, hand me that platter!"

Kagome rolled her eyes and placed a hand over the one Kouga put on her shoulder. "You guys can start eating. I'm okay with waiting for the rest of them."

"Me, too," Sango joined in. "You boys can start eating while we enjoy a drink in the backyard."

Kouga kissed Kagome's temple and sat down at the head of the table, beginning to fill up his own plate. "You won't have to wait for long, I got a call from Ginta. He and Hakkaku are almost here. Inuyasha didn't pick up, but he texted that he's also on his way. Probably still finishing up something at the station."

"You five better not finish all of the food."

"No promises," Souta said, the words muffled by all of the food in his mouth.

"Kagome! Come on, I've got the wine bottle!" Sango called from the back. Kagome giggled and joined her outside, settling next to her on the outdoor swinging bench on the deck.

Sango pressed a button on the arm that turned on the sound system in the backyard, the soft strummings of an acoustic guitar paired with a soft female voice.

"That's exactly what I needed after my hellish business trip," she sighed. "Oh I love this seat," Sango gushed. "So comfy."

"I'm planning on clearing a small space in the grass for a big gazebo with a fire pit. Fill it with more benches like this."

Sango shook her head. "Look at you, a real suburban wife."

Kagome shrugged. "I thought it'd be nice… I hoped I'd have it done by the time summer starts, but with my father being in the hospital, I pushed off my home improvement plans. You know how Kouga and I love having people over in the summer." She tilted her head, staring at her large backyard with a thoughtful expression.

"And over there, just by the gate, it would be perfect to have a small play area— swings, slides, a little jungle gym for climbing."

"You and Kouga are thinking of having kids?" Sango's brown eyes were wide.

"I mean, not now. It's not the right time and we haven't talked about it, but... We're responsible, have two steady incomes. …And I've always wanted a big family."

The two women sat in silence, thinking over Kagome's revelation. Sango sighed and took a sip of the wine. "And you're sure that you and Kouga are ready for that? That you want this?"

"Like I said, I'm not saying I want to have children _now_. But I mean, eventually…" Kagome blinked at Sango. "Why are you asking?"

"Nothing!" Sango hurried to tell her. "You guys are sweet to each other. Happy, I guess. Picture perfect."

Narrowing her eyes at her best friend, Kagome asked, "Why are you saying it like that?"

"It's sweet," Sango repeated. "Maybe… a little safe. No… passion?"

Kagome's cheeks flushed but she glared at Sango knowingly. "We were in the middle of our kitchen, Sango. Would you rather Kouga and I just start having sex on our kitchen floor?"

"I guess I'm just saying… it doesn't exactly look like… like—"

"Like the way Inuyasha and I used to kiss each other?" Kagome ventured, exhaustion coloring her tone.

Sango didn't respond, but made a face and shrugged. Kagome groaned and took a large gulp of her wine, refusing to look at Sango. She stared back out over the grass and into the trees of the woods in her backyard.

"Why does everything between Kouga and I have to be compared between what happened with Inuyasha and me? They're two different relationships. It'd be weird, disturbing even, if they were exactly the same."

"I'm sorry, Kagome," Sango mumbled. She, like Kagome, stared out over the grass, trying to figure out how to redirect the conversation.

"I mean, if this is how you and Souta and Miroku really felt, then what kind of friends are you to encourage me to accept Kouga's offer to date, to get married?"

"Kagome—"

"No, seriously. All of you were so supportive when we were dating and engaged. He made me happy again, Sango. He loves me. And what, are you suggesting I just _forget_ everything he's done for me since we've been together?"

"I'm sorry, Kagome," Sango repeated. "I didn't mean anything by it." Sango comfortingly grasped Kagome's wrist and squeezed. "It's just strange now that Inuyasha's back. How are you two?"

"We're still in a slightly weird place," she admitted. "Still trying to find out a good balance. I mean, we've made a lot of progress since he's come back…" Kagome sighed. "It's still difficult."

Taking a gulp of her wine, Sango nodded. "I'll bet. You two had an intense relationship."

Kagome snorted into her glass, inhaling the fresh, crisp scent of the sweet wine. "It's just hard to reconcile the past with the present. We're not lovers, but we're still more than friends."

"And you and Kouga?"

Kagome frowned. "He acts like he's okay. I mean, it _has_ to be difficult. He's partners with Inuyasha. He was there in high school— he _knows_ how Inuyasha and I were. There was one time where he told me he was worried… I know that he's just putting on a front sometimes, but what can we do? He's back in our lives."

"You really thought that Inuyasha would never come back?"

"I hoped he would, but I don't think I thought he would." Kagome shrugged. "That's why when Kouga asked me out, I said yes. I knew he liked me and we'd been friends. I figured there was no harm and that I had to date again someday. Why not one of my friends?"

"He was safe," Sango murmured.

"Oh kami, have I been using Kouga?" Kagome blanched and stared at Sango with wide eyes.

"No!" Sango took the wine out of Kagome's hand and put it down in the grass in front of them, along with hers. She enveloped Kagome and hugged her tightly. "No, Kagome. It took you two years to start dating again. And we all saw it. You were getting back to the old you when you were with Kouga. You're right— he makes you so happy and I'm sorry I even brought this up."

Kagome screwed her eyes shut tightly. "I just don't know what I'm doing anymore."

"Kagome, do you love Kouga?"

"Yes."

"Do you love Inuyasha?"

Kagome stared back at Sango with fear in her eyes. Her teeth made an audible click as she shut her mouth. "Yes," she whispered.

Sango raised her eyebrows at that, but reassured her. "I don't think you _could_ stop. But do you feel the same way as you did years ago?"

Kagome looked down at her hands. "I don't think so," she whispered.

"Kagome…" Sango took Kagome's chin in her hands and looked her in the eye. "There's going to be a part of you that always loves Inuyasha, but I think a part of you realizes that that time in your life is over. I think there's a part of all of us that needs to realize it. It's all in the past."

"You're right. We're not being fair to ourselves, to the present, to our future."

"Look, this is too heavy of a conversation topic for me. What do you say we go back inside and eat?"

Kagome laughed. "Gladly."

"Hey, Kagome… Would Kouga have been able to hear our conversation?"

Kagome shook her head. "Our house is soundproofed. Plus we had music playing out here. And he has to deal with my brother, Miroku, and grandfather inside to occupy his attention."

"True enough," Sango agreed. She paused once more as they made their way back inside. "Why did you two decide to soundproof the place?"

Kagome blushed. "Well as a security measure, first of all. In case we ever talk to each other about a case or if we're on the phone talking about it. Also, there are plenty of youkai in the world, never know if one of them becomes a neighbor and eavesdrops."

"Uh-huh. Then why are you blushing?"

"No reason," Kagome squeaked.

Sango grinned mischievously at her. She teased, "Are you a screamer, Kagome?"

"Come on, I'm hungry." Kagome quickly disappeared into the house, leaving Sango to lag behind her, nearly doubled over in laughter.


	16. Chapter 16

_Last Time…_

" _True enough," Sango agreed. She paused once more as they made their way back inside. "Why did you two decide to soundproof the place?"_

_Kagome blushed. "Well as a security measure, first of all. In case we ever talk to each other about a case or if we're on the phone talking about it. Also, there are plenty of youkai in the world, never know if one of them becomes a neighbor and eavesdrops."_

" _Uh-huh. Then why are you blushing?"_

" _No reason," Kagome squeaked._

_Sango grinned mischievously at her. She teased, "Are you a screamer, Kagome?"_

" _Come on, I'm hungry." Kagome quickly disappeared into the house, leaving Sango to lag behind her, nearly doubled over in laughter._

* * *

Kagome laughed and held on tightly as Ginta spun her around in greeting. Once he put her down, she didn't have a chance to catch her breath before Hakkaku crushed her with a hug. Kouga rolled his eyes and quickly clapped Ginta on the back before glaring at Hakkaku.

"Hey! You're crushing her! Knock it off, Hakkaku!"

Releasing her, Hakkaku chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. Kagome took in a deep breath and let Kouga curl her towards him.

"Come on, you guys should know better by now," Kouga scolded.

"Sorry, Sis," Ginta joked good-naturedly at Kagome. "Forgot that you're human."

Kagome rolled her eyes and gestured towards the dining room. "Don't worry about it. Go ahead."

"Don't worry about it?" Kouga muttered under his breath.

"Kouga, you don't actually think that they were doing that on purpose, do you?"

"No, but they should know better by now."

Kagome laughed easily, grabbing his forearms. "You make it sound as if they're children who nearly dropped a newborn."

Kouga shrugged. "Well in a way…"

"Oh no. You are _not_ comparing me to a helpless infant."

"Keh, aren't you one, though?"

Kouga and Kagome turned to face the surly looking hanyou in their doorway. He scowled back at them as he shook his hair free of the water droplets that dampened it. Kagome ushered him in and stuck her head out of the doorway, peering up at the dark sky.

"How are you wet? It's not raining."

"No, but your fucking neighbor's sprinkler system is set to go off at eight at night for some goddamn reason." He growled in frustration when he felt the cold beads of water collect at the small of his back, soaking into the polo shirt he wore. Inuyasha roughly pulled the material from his skin.

Kouga barked out a harsh laugh. "What the hell were you doing in our neighbor's yard?"

Narrowing his amber eyes at his partner, Inuyasha's voice was tight as he grit out, "I. Wasn't. Bastards need to recalibrate the system because it spewed water everywhere _but_ the fucking grass."

Kagome frowned. "They're out of town. But the box controlling the system is right on the side of the house. Some kids must have messed with it."

"Don't worry about it. They'll be back the day after tomorrow. I'll let 'em know." Kouga's eyebrows came together. "Actually, I promised them I'd keep an eye on their place. I'll do a quick walk around their place in the morning— make sure everything's locked and nothing else has been messed with."

"You better. Never know if someone's surveilling the house from there. And your door was open. Should've been locked, though." Inuyasha glared meaningfully at Kouga. "You of all people should have remembered that."

Kouga rolled his eyes. "I don't think anyone's going to attack them here."

"Well apparently, you haven't been thinking much at all. Sadao was fucking attacked a few blocks over, in case you forgot," Inuyasha hissed, thinly veiled anger emerging though his voice was calm.

"Besides there are three youkai here." Kouga cast Inuyasha a cursory glance. "And a mutt."

Glowering at Kouga for the mutt comment, Inuyasha's ears twitched and he wrinkled his nose. "Shit that's what the smell was. _More_ wolf youkai. At first I thought it was just bad cooking."

"Hey!" Kagome's eyes flashed in indignation. "You didn't need to bring me into your stupid argument! I didn't even cook tonight."

Pinning both men with a cool stare and her hands on her hips, Kagome's mouth fell into a frown when she saw the moisture drip from Inuyasha's long hair onto her previously pristine hardwood floor. Her jaw clenched and she lifted her gaze once more towards the two, causing Kouga and Inuyasha look back at her warily.

"That's it. You're coming with me to change and dry your hair. Kouga, you clean this up."

After drying his hair, Inuyasha tossed aside the appliance and threw the new shirt over his head, pulling it down and pushing up the sleeves so that they bunched up near his elbow. He looked at Kagome anxiously and she led him out of the bathroom and downstairs. They entered the dining room and Inuyasha sat in the empty spot between Miroku and Souta.

Kouga raised an eyebrow at him and commented dryly. "That wet dog smell's finally gone."

Ginta and Hakkaku snickered at his jab and earned Inuyasha's cool gaze. They froze and dropped their eyes to their plates. Scowling, Inuyasha asked gruffly, "Who are these jokers?"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome reprimanded.

"It's fine, Kagome." Kouga rolled his eyes. "I met Ginta and Hakkaku at university in Kyoto. Consider them my Miroku and Inuyasha post-high school."

"Keh. What's up with their hair?" Inuyasha nodded at Hakkaku's tall, bleached white Mohawk.

Hakkaku glowered at Inuyasha. "You're one to talk."

"What's wrong with my hair?" Inuyasha asked carefully.

Sango quickly interceded, "So Sadao, how long do you think it'll take before you're back to your old self?"

"It'll be a long while. The doctors say that it's a miracle that I've even been able to recover this much."

"Yes, no offense, Higurashi-san, but for a man your age, your recovery has been quite remarkable," Miroku added. He smiled jovially. "But I'm sure that if your progress remains at this pace, you should become much more comfortable in less than a year. Although, I'm not sure you'll return quite to the same level of mobility."

Sadao lifted his hand and shook his head in acceptance. "I'm an old man. I understand my limits."

Kagome put down her utensils and began slowly, "You know, Dad… Kouga and I were talking about it, and we were thinking that maybe you should permanently move in with us."

"And what of your grandfather? Do you intend for him to maintain the house and the shrine by himself?"

Biting down on her lower lip, Kagome shook her head. "No, we were thinking that maybe he'd also move in. And that we could sell the shrine— Jii-chan?"

Kagome's grandfather had risen from his seat at the table and stoically began to leave the dining room. In the silence that followed, they heard the sound of the sliding door opening and closing, letting them know he had gone out to the backyard. Kagome pursed her lips.

"What in the world were you thinking, Kagome?"

Kagome's honey eyes widened at her father's displeasure. "I was thinking that you two could stay with us. There's no reason for you two to stay at the shrine anymore."

"Your grandfather grew up in that house. Your mother grew up in that house. That shrine is the only thing that he has left. He loves the shrine. It's the one thing that keeps him going, Kagome. You'd really take that away from him?"

Kagome shrunk back in her seat, staring down. "I wasn't thinking of it that way," she murmured.

"It doesn't seem like you were thinking at all."

There was a loud clatter when Inuyasha's utensils fell against his plate and his chair scraped backwards as he stood up and walked away from the table. He didn't say anything, but once more, the sound of a sliding glass door echoed in the silent house. Miroku patted Sango's hand before excusing himself and following after the hanyou.

Kouga took Kagome's hand and squeezed it tightly before addressing his father-in-law. "Kagome and I didn't intend for you or jii-chan to feel that way. We just wanted to make sure you two were taken care of. And we know how much work it can be to maintain the shrine—"

"Souta's home plenty of times. He comes home from school every weekend."

"He'll be graduating in a few years. He'll find a job, his own place. Kagome and I were just planning for the future."

"You two need to stop worrying about us and worry about yourselves."

"You're my family!" Kagome cried. "How can you tell me to just forget about you? In case you forgot, Dad, you _just_ left the hospital after an attack. I don't want to have to worry about you or Jii-chan or Souta's safety."

"Kagome, you need to worry about your own family," Sadao's voice was stern. "What if there's another attempt on my life? If I move in here with everyone else, I don't just endanger myself, I endanger my daughter, my father-in-law, and my son? I won't have it." He took a deep breath. "As soon as I'm fully healed, I'll return to the shrine. That's the end of this."

* * *

Inuyasha couldn't believe what he was doing, but he did it anyway. He sat down on the steps of the deck next to Kagome's grandfather. He didn't bother looking at him or addressing him first. Merely joined the elderly man in staring up at the inky sky, glittering with the stars that managed to shine through the lights of the Tokyo metropolis.

"They used to be much brighter when I was younger."

Inuyasha nodded in agreement. "I'm sure they were beautiful."

"They still are," he argued. "It's just all those damn neon lights in the city that stop us from seeing them. We get too infatuated by all the new stuff that we forget the beauty that's been here for centuries."

With a sigh, Inuyasha cut off the small talk. "Kagome's just trying to take care of you," Inuyasha mumbled.

"Oh, I know that. It's in her nature to try and take care of everything by herself. She got that from her mother." He shook his head slowly and sighed. "Kagome needs to realize that she needs to be taken care of as well."

"Keh. Blame that mangy husband of hers."

"A youkai. My granddaughter marrying a youkai." There was no malice in his voice, just disbelief.

One look at the old man dressed in his priest garb was enough to nearly make Inuyasha snort in laughter, but he chose to refrain. "And a wolf, at that."

"I really hated you when you dated her in high school, you know."

"I know. Every time I came over, you kept throwing those damn ofuda to try and purify me."

"You are a strong spirit. That must be the reason why they didn't work. The spells are ancient and passed down from my ancestors."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes but nodded. "I _am_ a strong hanyou." He paused before adding, "You didn't hate me. Hate doesn't run in your family."

Harrumphing, the older man acknowledged Inuyasha's claim but argued, "I thought you were annoying and reckless. When I let you work in my storehouse, you broke nearly all of the artifacts."

"You mean your imitation Shikon jewel keychains?"

With another glare directed at the hanyou, he continued, "You treated her well, though. I could tell that she was your top priority."

"I never wanted her to be sad or hurt. I still don't," Inuyasha admitted.

"You still love her."

Inuyasha finally turned towards the old man and met his wise eyes. "Never stopped. And I always will."

"You loved her too much."

"Maybe."

"That's why you let her go."

"I hurt her."

"Tell me, when you sleep, do you see her?" He shook his head. "No, I already know the answer." He sighed before continuing, "You can never touch her, keep her. Right?"

Inuyasha's frowned. "How do you know?"

"That's how I feel about my late wife."

Inuyasha watched the old man's face scrunch up in concentration, the lines etched on his skin becoming deeper and more pronounced. His eyes narrowed in thought. He shook his head and turned his face upwards again towards the sky.

"Too much of my family has left me behind. My wife died before Souta was born. Kagome was only a toddler. My first grandchild left us much too soon, barely a teenager. And my only child… Satori… She left behind two of her children and her husband. I can't reach any of them anymore."

He groaned and held his face in his hands. "My heart can't take anymore. Kagome's taking on too much. She should be enjoying her youth, her marriage."

"Nothing's going to happen to Kagome," Inuyasha promised.

"And how can you make sure of that? You aren't her mate."

Inuyasha recoiled and slumped over before reiterating hotly, "Well Kouga isn't her mate, either." He looked down and glared at his hands. "That doesn't matter to me. Nothing's going to happen to her."

The wind shifted and Inuyasha turned over his shoulder to see Miroku standing further away, leaning against the railing. His scent was previously blown in the other direction, keeping Inuyasha unaware of his presence. Inuyasha met his understanding gaze and stood up.

"You don't have to believe me, old man, but I'm telling you right now it's the truth."

"Kagome was always very happy when she was with you," he said suddenly. "Even when I thought her a fool for spending time with you, she always felt safe. Her mother thought so as well. I'm aware of your support when Satori died and I appreciate it."

Inuyasha nodded before making his way to Miroku's side as his best friend handed him a bottle of beer.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Miroku asked.

"No."

Miroku nodded and took a pull from his bottle before Inuyasha did the same. The three men spent the rest of their time gazing up at the night sky in silent reflection.

* * *

Inuyasha walked back into the house to the quiet sounds of dishes being cleared and the soft rush of the water from the kitchen sink. He caught Sango's wrist as she tried to take on more plates and took them himself.

"Some celebratory dinner that was."

Sango pursed her lips. "Didn't go like Kagome planned at all. Where's Miroku?"

"The old man fell asleep outside so Miroku took him back home to the shrine. He said he'd be back to take you home."

"I'm sure he could've stayed here without Kagome minding."

"Pretty sure he wanted to go home, Sango."

Sango sighed. "I guess you're right. Especially after that mess at dinner."

Inuyasha considered her warily. "You're dead on your feet. Did you come here straight from the airport? Go sit down or whatever you humans do to _relax_ ," he sneered. He made a show of wincing when Sango punched him in the arm, though he had to admit that it hurt more than a punch from a human woman should have.

"I wanted to help clean up. Nearly had to fight Kagome to get her to relax. She's been too stressed out."

The two put the last of the dishes in the sink and waited for Kouga to finish washing them before drying them and putting them away. Inuyasha cringed when one of his claws scraped against the plate gratingly.

"Damn it, dog boy, can't you keep it down?"

"I ought to smash this plate against your head," Inuyasha grumbled.

"So what kept you so late?" Kouga was referring to Inuyasha's delayed arrival to the house.

"I've been trying to find more leads on those two inuyoukai that attacked Sadao. Ever since they were released on bail, it's as if they've turned into the goddamn wind. They managed to make bail with cash. No way to trace them. Money's not counterfeit, either. All we have is the DNA we swabbed when we took them to the hospital, but they're not in any system— local, national, or international. Even my more competent CIs have had no luck."

"CI?" Sango asked.

Inuyasha and Kouga blinked at her, as if remembering she was there and she glared at them for the blank look.

"Confidential informant or criminal informant," Kouga supplied. "Low level thugs or petty criminals that we talk to and convince to work for us after an arrest in order to get more information on the higher ups or the underground in general." He looked back at Inuyasha and asked, "So what, you were chasing some down?"

"Caught up with a few of them." Inuyasha snorted derisively. "Must have gone down every fucking alley in Shinjuku to try and smoke them out. They weren't having any of it."

"Maybe they knew you work for the Criminal Investigation Bureau?" Sango guessed.

Inuyasha shook his head. "You're forgetting where I grew up, Sango. I know how these punks think and act."

Kouga sighed, crossing his arms as he leant on his kitchen counter. "Fuck. So we really have no leads…"

"Inuyoukai aren't that prevalent. Someone has to have seen them. I thought that maybe the fact that I'm one would have made someone approach me." Inuyasha scowled at the floor. "There was this one thing… rumors of some new syndicate with their leader looking to make a break as an international arms dealer."

"But he's a ghost, isn't he?"

Inuyasha nodded tersely.

Sango yawned. "As much as this cop talk has been absolutely stimulating, I'm exhausted and Miroku texted me that he's waiting in the driveway."

"Bastard couldn't take the time to come inside and say goodbye to us?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Apparently not." She fought back another yawn. "Look, I'll see you two soon, okay? Maybe Miroku and I will host dinner one of these days."

Kouga grinned. "You two moved in together?"

Sango blushed. "He asked and I didn't give him an answer yet, so no telling him!"

Kouga and Inuyasha laughed as she rushed out of the kitchen and the front door slammed behind her. Inuyasha followed Kouga into their living room, sitting on the sofa opposite the one Kagome slept on. Kouga sat on the edge of that one, carefully lifting her head and placing it on his lap. He groaned as he stretched out and placed his feet on the coffee table between the two couches. Inuyasha smirked.

"Kagome will murder you for that."

"Not if you don't tell her," Kouga retorted, glowering at Inuyasha. Inuyasha ignored him and put his arms behind his head, relaxing into the couch and closing his eyes. "So what did her grandfather say?"

Opening one eye to look at him, Inuyasha shrugged. "Didn't say much. Just stared at the damn sky until he started to doze off. Miroku and I had just ignored him until we heard his snoring." He frowned. "Thinks Kagome is overexerting herself."

"He's not too far off."

"Her dad and Souta are asleep?"

"Sadao most likely. Souta's probably just on his laptop or catching up on schoolwork."

"Damn. Forgot that he still has that shit to deal with. The kid's doing okay?"

"That's what he tells Kagome. Sounds to me like he's telling the truth."

Inuyasha snorted. "I'll speak to him next time I see him. Twerp doesn't have the balls to lie to me."

An awkward silence fell between the two and Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably in his seat while Kouga absentmindedly ran his fingers through Kagome's thick hair. Inuyasha rose and began to make his way towards the door.

"Hey, Inuyasha, thanks."

"For what? Coming to this dinner? You deserve to be punched in the face for how it turned out. Not to mention your pathetic friends."

Ignoring Inuyasha's insults, Kouga clarified, "No, I mean, for taking the lead on the case. I know that you've been working hard on it."

"Keh. You've got a lot on your plate."

Kouga frowned before he added, "It's been months, but I never got around to saying it."

"Saying _what_?" Inuyasha demanded roughly, his impatience evident.

"Thanks for accepting Kagome and me. I know it can't be easy, with your history with her, but you haven't been much of an asshole. At least no more than usual." Kouga looked down at her before meeting Inuyasha's gaze again. "You could have made things a lot harder, but you've been a good partner. A good friend— to both of us."

Inuyasha stiffened ever so slightly, his hands quickly curling into tight fists before relaxing. "Quit that sentimental shit, alright?"

"Yeah man, whatever. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Inuyasha made to turn and head out the front door, but paused as he watched Kouga smooth out the crease from between Kagome's eyebrows as she slept. Kagome stirred, but the frown didn't return on her face.

"She really has been stressed out."

Kouga scoffed. "That's putting it lightly." He smiled tightly. "She won't complain about it, though. She wouldn't."

"Keh, don't put her on a pedestal."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Just remember she's human. She's going to crash at some point. Be ready for when she needs you." Inuyasha was instantly reminded of the girl who fisted her hands in his shirt, her tears soaking through and wetting his skin as he tried to soothe her when her mother died.

"She's strong," Kouga argued.

"I'm not saying she's not," Inuyasha snapped. "But she's not invincible. She has a breaking point. Keep her from getting there. Better take good fucking care of her and protect her, Kouga."

Kouga stared at Inuyasha for a while before nodding. "With my life."

Inuyasha scoffed at him before turning and leaving the house.

* * *

Kagome hurried through her kitchen, packing papers up and putting them into a file before grabbing a piece of toast from the toaster, ignoring her younger brother's indignant cry. "I'm running late, Souta. Make another piece of toast."

"Come on, Kagome!"

"Your first class isn't for another two hours!" Kagome groaned and shuffled several papers. "Where did I put the Hideyoshi file? I could have sworn I just saw it…"

Souta waved around a packet of papers. "Looking for this?"

"Yes! Thanks, Souta— hey!" Kagome frowned when Souta used his height as an advantage to lift the packet over her head. "Souta, I don't have time for this!" She reached up and growled in frustration when Souta lifted it out of her reach again.

"Give me back my toast!"

"Are you serious? Souta, this isn't like when we were kids and had the luxury of just dealing with detention if we were late to school! It's. My. Job!" Planting her hands on her hips, Kagome glared at her brother. "It's not like it doesn't take five minutes for you to toast another piece of bread."

"That was _the_ perfect piece of toast, Kagome. Not burnt, right firmness, ideal butter ratio."

"Now you're just being ridiculous."

"Oi, what's with all of the yelling?"

Kagome and Souta turned to see Inuyasha staring at them with a mixture of confusion and amusement.

Kagome blinked. "Inuyasha? What are you doing here? Kouga left a while ago."

"Yeah, I know. I actually came by to talk to Souta before I started work. I'm going to be doing field work today, not going to be in the precinct today."

Kagome then took notice of his outfit. He didn't wear the usual dress shirt and slacks. Instead, he wore a plain, worn, charcoal colored t-shirt and black, loose fitting jeans. She recognized the necklace he wore, a rosary of dark purple beads and ivory colored beads in the shape of a fang. Kagome also recognized the bracelet he wore on his right wrist, made of indigo colored beads.

* * *

_Kagome bit her lip, trying to concentrate on her study guide. She was going to be taking her National Center Test soon and her admission into the University of Tokyo depended on her score. She slammed down her pen and leaned back in her chair with a deep sigh, staring longingly at her open window. Kagome sighed again and laid her head down on the desk, on top of her study guide._

" _How am I supposed to study when I can't concentrate?" she moaned._

" _Why can't you concentrate?" Kagome could tell that the voice came from her window._

" _Because I'm too hung up thinking about my dumb boyfriend, who had to go all the way to Nagoya this weekend and leave me alone in my misery."_

" _Sounds like a real asshole."_

" _He is."_

_Kagome could feel the upward tick of the corners of her mouth even though she was fighting the urge to smile. She chewed on the inside of her cheek when she felt the claws softly graze along her side, his chin settling at the junction where her shoulder and neck met. Inuyasha's warm breath tickled against her ear. She lifted her head and turned over her shoulder and looked directly into his eyes, the familiar gold immediately setting her at ease._

" _It's not like I wanted to go. Like watching some boring trial over my old man's inheritance is interesting?"_

_With a pout, Kagome argued, "I think it is."_

_Inuyasha made a face. "Guess that's why you're going to be a successful lawyer."_

" _And what about you?"_

" _Your lazy husband who lives off of your money to buy an infinite amount of video games and ramen."_

_Kagome giggled. "That sounds like the life."_

" _Duh. You've got_ me _for a husband."_

" _Oh, Inuyasha."_

_Her giggles cut short when Inuyasha swiveled her chair around, squatting down in front of her to be eye level. Kagome didn't even realize she had been leaning towards him until he pulled her against him, hands spread across her back. Inuyasha buried his nose in her hair, inhaling her scent, and brushed their faces together, dragging the tip of his nose from her hairline across her cheek and touched her nose. Kagome's eyes fluttered but before she let them close, she gently pushed him away._

" _Wait, I went shopping with Sango yesterday and got you something."_

_Inuyasha raised his eyebrows and sat back on his haunches, waiting expectantly._

" _If you don't like it, you can return it."_

" _As long as it's not something stupid like a locket or something." Inuyasha briefly looked away with pursed lips before looking back at her from the corner of his eye. "Keh, even then, I'd probably still wear it," he admitted, earning a small smile from Kagome._

_She handed him a dark pouch and he reached in and pulled out a bracelet of beads._

" _It reminded me of you, like the rosary you always wear. I know your necklace has historical value and I just found this at an antique store, but—"_

_Inuyasha rolled his eyes and immediately put it on. Kagome stopped talking and blushed. She felt the familiar feeling of her stomach turning in a pleasant way when Inuyasha raised his eyes to her. She thought that the feeling would disappear, but she still felt it whenever he looked at her, even after three years together._

" _I missed you," he said._

" _Really?" she teased._

"Yes _, really." He leaned back and brushed her bangs out of her eyes tenderly. "Surprisingly, you're pretty miss-able."_

" _Miss-able?" she repeated, laughter in her voice._

_Inuyasha playfully growled at her. "Yes, miss-able!" He then lunged forward to take her into his arms again when Kagome turned to run away. He rested his chin on her shoulder once more and whispered, "How could I not miss the girl I'm in love with?"_

_Kagome's blush deepened but she scoffed, "Girl?"_

" _Woman," Inuyasha corrected before he started placing feather light kisses along her neck._

* * *

"Oh." Kagome frowned, her bemusement obvious. "Look it's my first day back and I'm running late..." She gave him an expression caught between a smile and a grimace.

"Don't worry about it, go ahead."

"You sure?"

"I'm fine. Good luck."

Kagome stared at him for a moment before smiling. She reached up and kissed him on the cheek, ignoring the pink flush on his cheeks. "Thanks, Inuyasha."

After hearing the front door close and Kagome start the car, his ears twitching, Inuyasha stood opposite Souta, his arms crossed. He looked at him with a disappointed scowl before asking, "So when were you planning on letting your sister know that you dropped out of school?"


	17. Chapter 17

_Last Time…_

" _Oh." Kagome frowned, her bemusement obvious. "Look it's my first day back and I'm running late..." She gave Inuyasha an expression caught between a smile and a grimace._

" _Don't worry about it, go ahead."_

" _You sure?"_

" _I'm fine. Good luck."_

_Kagome stared at him for a moment before smiling. She reached up and kissed him on the cheek, ignoring the pink flush on his cheeks. "Thanks, Inuyasha."_

_After hearing the front door close and Kagome start the car, his ears twitching, Inuyasha stood opposite Souta, his arms crossed. He looked at him with a disappointing scowl before asking, "So when were you planning on letting your sister know that you dropped out of school?"_

* * *

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Inuyasha scoffed. "Kid, you don't actually think that I'd say this without any kind of evidence? Now come on, I know I saw you the other night in that alley. I might have let you get away, but I caught your friends. I guess 'friends' isn't the right word… your 'big brothers' or your kyodai maybe?"

Inuyasha's use of yakuza terminology caused no stir in Souta. The guarded expression on Souta's face didn't falter and Inuyasha frowned at the difficulty in reading the young man he usually found so open. Inuyasha straightened up and didn't break his eye contact with Souta.

He reiterated, "Souta. Come on. Don't lie to me. Don't even try it."

"Look, Kagome and Kouga think that I can't hear them when they start talking about costs and Dad's hospital bills. And his physical therapy bills. And his medication bills. Kagome's been on leave for months. Kouga, he's still considered a rookie inspector. His salary isn't that great."

His eyebrows furrowing, Inuyasha asked incredulously, "And you thought dropping out of school was the answer? Hanging around with dangerous thugs? Kid, I hate to tell you, but you had the wrong fucking idea."

"Inuyasha, my tuition for next year will be due by the end of summer. I want to be able to pay for it myself. I don't want anyone else worrying about it. I'm not in deep, I'm just making some quick money. They've got enough to worry about." Souta's gaze fell and he dropped into one of the tall stools situated around the kitchen island.

"Souta, you think _leaving_ school is the way to pay for it? Listen to yourself. It just sounds fucking _dumb_." Inuyasha pulled out the stool next to Souta and sat down. "When exactly did you drop out?"

Souta looked away and mumbled so lowly that even Inuyasha couldn't comprehend what he said. He narrowed his eyes at Souta and demanded, "What?"

"Middle of this last semester. A month, two months after Dad first went to the hospital."

Inuyasha's eyes widened impossibly and he leaned back. "Are you fucking kidding me? That was four months ago!"

Souta opened his mouth to protest but Inuyasha stood up and paced in the kitchen.

"No, you've got to be kidding me, Souta! Your sister will kill you! Do you understand me? _Slaughter_ you. And kami help you, because your sister's temper is pretty damn legendary."

"I was just trying to help."

"No, Souta, you've done the opposite of helping. Now, when Kagome and Kouga have so much on their plate, you've added _this shit_ on top of it. And when your old man hears about it— wait, Kagome said you were going to class? It's the start of the summer."

"Summer classes at a local junior college— Nitobe Bunka. It's cheaper and if I take some compulsory classes there, I can transfer the credit back at Tokyo Tech…"

Inuyasha sighed and tiredly ran a hand through his hair. "I think you're just giving yourself more work, kid. And so what, you've been selling drugs on the street to pay?"

"It's nothing major— nothing like heroin or cocaine. Just marijuana, some x at raves. Low-level."

"There's _nothing_ low level about narcotics, Souta. Come on! Use your fucking head. Yeah first, it's just weed, but sooner or later you could be past drug trafficking and involved in extortion or human trafficking. Damn it! You know I could lose my job because I let you go and because I am _continuing_ to let you go? Thanks a lot."

"Inuyasha, I didn't mean—"

"Yeah, well you did." Inuyasha stood up roughly, the stool sliding back from the force. "Look, your sister and Kouga are fine financially. Whatever you might think about our salary, Kouga and I aren't top associates at a firm, but we're not exactly getting minimum wage, either. And your sister _is_ a successful associate at a corporate law firm. Besides, your Dad is a partner at his own firm. Where the hell did you get the idea that you need to work and get extra money?"

"When Mom died… I remember them looking at bills all night long and wondering how they were going to pay…"

Inuyasha sighed and reassuringly gripped Souta's shoulder. "That was nearly ten years ago. Your mom's cancer affected you guys for a long time and it was a drawn out process. You had a single income household and your dad wasn't as successful as he is now. Your family's smart. They have savings."

With a sigh, Inuyasha clapped Souta on the back and told him. "Look, this is an issue for your family and isn't any of my business. I won't tell anyone until you do and as long as you enroll again. You're still a kid, Souta. You have the rest of your life to work. And not go to prison for it. Enjoy this time— get an internship or a part time job or something if it interests you, but don't blow off school for some money. Ain't worth it."

"When did you get so smart?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "I had to figure things out for myself when I was on my own in America. Get that degree first, okay?"

"Alright."

"Good. Now, you coming or what?"

"Huh?"

Inuyasha made a face and mocked him, "Huh?" He scoffed. "Let's go, breakfast is on me."

Souta grinned. "Thanks, Inuyasha."

"Keh! If you really wanna thank me, just get registered for next semester before your family finds out."

* * *

Inuyasha growled into the phone but continued scribbling hurriedly across his large notepad. With a quick glance, he saw Kouga's curious gaze and shook his head curtly at his partner. Kouga scowled but continued glaring at the large board full of photos, notes, and maps. With restrained control, Inuyasha slammed his phone down as hard as he could without crushing it.

"Well that was a fucking bust," he muttered.

"No leads on those two inuyoukai?"

"No," Inuyasha snarled. "And it's already been months. Every day, the chances of finding them get smaller and smaller."

Kouga leaned forward on his desk. "Maybe we should go with another approach then. We've beat this one to death."

"What other approach is there?" Inuyasha asked lowly, his frustration rising. "We fucking had them, Kouga! And we let them get away!"

Kouga frowned, his dark eyebrows knitting together in irritation and he cast his blue eyes downward, glaring at his clenched fists. "You think I'm not pissed about this? They went after my wife's family—I'm fucking _furious_ ," he hissed. "But wallowing in it isn't going to get us anywhere, so either you quit griping like a whiny brat, or you act like a goddamn inspector and do your job!"

Inuyasha glowered at his partner, his jaw clenching. Silence passed before he nodded curtly at Kouga and swiped his notes from his desk, rising to stand in front of the board, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Ok, so what do we know?" he mumbled to himself.

Kouga looked from him back to the board, his arctic-colored eyes contemplative. "Six months ago, Sadao Higurashi was the target of an attempted assassination carried out by two inuyoukai. They managed to make bail and haven't been seen since. The assailants' fingerprints and DNA did not turn up any results on any database."

"Indicating that this is their first capture."

Kouga inclined his head and snorted. "Doubtful."

Inuyasha nodded. "Agreed. Those bastards were too goddamned skilled to have not been in the life for a while. They're no rookies."

Kouga sat on his desk and loosely clasped his hands together, his eyes still trained on the board. "It actually suggests that they _do_ have a previous record and whatever organization they've been a part of has the power and resources to expunge it." His eyes tightened. "Without a trace."

Inuyasha raised his eyebrows at his partner, his arms falling to his sides. "Say that again."

"What? They've left no trace?"

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha sighed. "No, dumbass. You said 'organization'. Whatever organization they've been a part of has the power and resources to keep them off the grid. Not just some street gang. A fully fledged organization."

Kouga sat up straighter, his eyes darting across the board. He hopped off of the desk to grab another board, similarly filled with photos and notes. He dragged it so it stood side by side with the one detailing Sadao's case. Standing back to look at the two, Kouga let out a low whistle.

"Fuck me," he muttered.

"Keh! Rather not."

Inuyasha ignored the scowl Kouga sent him and analyzed the two boards and nodded. "I was right. This isn't an ordinary gang we're dealing with. It's not a bunch of street thugs. It's higher up than that. Real, dangerous, organized crime. The same bastards that have been messing up the district."

Kouga frowned. "It's one thing to be smuggling weapons, but assassination attempts?"

"Arms dealer, murderer, it's all the same shit." Inuyasha slammed his hand against the grainy, black and white photograph of an indistuingishable man entering a dark car. " _This_ guy is the one in charge. He's calling all of the shots. We gotta get to him."

With an impatient nod, Kouga agreed, "Fine. But that still doesn't explain why Sadao got caught in the crossfire." He arched an eyebrow at him speculatively. "Unless you think he's been involved in something he shouldn't be."

Inuyasha kept silent.

Kouga scoffed and advanced towards the hanyou. "You can't be serious?"

"Shut up, you mangy wolf. I didn't say anything, did I?" Inuyasha asked lowly. He frowned and crossed his arms again, glaring at the boards. "And I won't until I get more evidence. I'm _hoping_ that it's just retaliation for locking up someone's brother or something dumb like that."

A similar frown marred Kouga's features. "Hey… uh… can you not mention this to Kagome until we get solid evidence?"

Staring at him with wide eyes, Inuyasha cleared his throat and stared resolutely at the ground. "Not my business."

"Thanks, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha's lip curled into a sneer. "Don't get fucking soft on me." He reached behind him where he had a stack of files. "Let's get through this. It's the arrests we've made in the past year." He threw half of them at Kouga. "We need to find out which ones are about to go to trial, have a chance of convicting, _and_ are connected to any of Sadao's employees."

Kouga began leafing through the files and sighed wearily. "The man has a fucking empire of lawyers. This is going to take forever."

"Guess you better shut your mouth then. Stop complaining, and start cross-referencing."

Glancing at the watch on his wrist, Kouga sighed and ran a hand through his bangs tiredly. "Let me just call Kagome so she doesn't wait up for me."

Warily watching Kouga on the phone, Inuyasha nodded gruffly and struggled not to tune into the soft female voice coming through the other end of the line. He focused on the file on his desk, but the triangular appendages perched on the top of his head kept twitching restlessly. He let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding when Kouga hung up.

The lines on Inuyasha's face became more pronounced and he held up a hand to get Kouga's attention. "Listen… uh… it's none of my business, but you and Kagome are okay right?"

Stiffening, Kouga narrowed his gaze. "What do you mean?" he asked carefully.

"Like, with Sadao's medical bills and everything. You guys are good, right?"

Relaxing slightly, Kouga nodded. "It's not ideal at the moment. Kagome and I are just starting our careers. But we're fine. Had to cancel a few renovation and vacation plans, but neither of us would choose a gazebo in the backyard over her father's health."

"Of course."

"Why are you asking?"

"Came to my mind recently," Inuyasha mumbled.

His answer didn't satisfy Kouga's curiosity and he pressed on, "You don't have enough presence of mind to think that deeply, bastard. Did Kagome talk to you?"

"No," Inuyasha replied firmly, his tone suggesting that they drop the conversation.

"Sadao wouldn't speak to you," Kouga muttered. "So it had to be Souta. He doesn't need to worry… he just needs to worry about his schoolwork."

Inuyasha couldn't help the yawn that escaped his mouth and he stretched his arms over his head while he nodded in agreement.

"That's what I told him. Just want to make sure you didn't make a liar out of me."

Kouga smirked. "Call you everything under the sun but a liar."

Inuyasha smirked back and tossed another file at him and then started sorting through his own pile when the senior superintendent stormed into the bullpen. Kouga and Inuyasha shared a look before sitting up taller at their desks. The older man had a frazzled look in his eyes and was whispering rapid-fire orders into his subordinates' ears before turning towards the expectant officers.

"Gear up! Got a major firefight in Kabukicho and all units are requested to respond!"

Many of the officers began murmuring at the mention of one of the more notorious hot spots for gang activity. Inuyasha and Kouga hurried to holster their weapons to the duty belts around their waist and throw on their body armor, adjusting the stiff vests around their torso.

"Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha looked up just in time to catch the radio Kouga tossed at him and they hurried out of the door into a squad car. Inuyasha blared the sirens before pulling out into traffic, racing towards the coordinates already programmed into the car's GPS.

"Must be a big shoot out if they're calling us in. We're not the rapid reaction division."

"Keh! Trying to back out, wolf cub?"

Kouga smirked. "Not even close, mutt face."

Inuyasha glanced at Kouga from the corner of his eye and grinned at the eager expression on his face. Inuyasha could feel the similar adrenaline rush, his muscles already shaking in anticipation. He applied more pressure to the gas pedal, the tires screeching as he finessed through traffic, the lights of the city and cars turning into a collage of blurs.

They pulled up and joined the other cars parked haphazardly outside of the nightclub, the brightly lit building strangely free of a crowded line at the entrance though it was still blaring music. Both Inuyasha and Kouga immediately took their guns out and threw their doors open, crouching behind them for cover.

Garnering the attention of another squad car that looked to be at the scene longer, Kouga hissed, "Who's running point?"

The patrol officer looked young and he had nervous sweat beading down the side of his face. He began stammering and Kouga groaned. He turned his head over his shoulder to glance at the other officers.

"Who the hell is running point?"

"The tactical team went in before... no one's come out and we haven't heard any more shots. Another team has been called but they haven't arrived yet."

Inuyasha winced as a bullet pinged off of the car door he was crouched behind. He leaned out and fired several shots at the broken windows where the shots seemed to originate from before diving back behind the protection of the door.

Leaning against the metal and closing his eyes, Inuyasha sighed. "Guessing it's us!" he called out.

Kouga growled in irritation before he met Inuyasha's gaze and nodded. "Right, then! Inspector Takado and I are taking point. Follow behind us and provide cover fire. _Watch each other's backs!_ "

Taking another quick look at the group, Inuyasha rose and slowly approached the entrance of the building, his shoulders hunched as he held his gun out in front of him. Kouga did the same a few paces behind him.

"This is the Tokyo Metro Police!" Kouga called out. "Exit the building with your arms up!"

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes as he scanned the building's windows for any shadowy figures from behind the tinted glass.

"Tokyo Metro Police!" Kouga yelled again. "This is your final warning! Exit the premises with your hands up!"

Kouga turned his head slightly towards his shoulder and called forward a patrolman. "What the fuck is going on here?"

"Got reports of emergency calls from several people in the vicinity. Dispatchers relayed witness testimony of the sound of gunshots and then chaos inside."

"It's a fucking nightclub," Kouga sneered. "It could have been nothing."

The patrolman shrugged, his eyes still warily trained on the building. He added, "Got calls from people inside the club who ran out screaming for help."

"Those people with officials?"

He nodded nervously. "They left with the first responders to go to the station and give official statements. People who got hurt were accompanied to the hospital."

"Alright, so are we assuming that there are no friendlies inside the building? I'm not storming the place if there are hostages inside."

The patrolman raised his eyebrows at Inuyasha, who had been eerily quiet the entire time he'd been there, deferring to Kouga. He swallowed harshly and shook his head at the hanyou. "No, sir. We can't be sure that all of the civilians managed to evacuate."

Inuyasha pulled out his radio. "Inspector Takado on the scene in Kabuchiko where there were reports of gunfire. Requesting a rush on tactical backup. We have reason to believe we are dealing with experienced criminals."

Kouga jerked his head, gesturing for the man to fall back into formation. He edged closer to Inuyasha. "What are you thinking?"

Inuyasha's eyebrows knit together and he wore an impassive mask, save for the hard edge in his gaze. The muscle in Inuyasha's jaw ticked and Inuyasha pressed his lips together. "Take a sniff," he murmured lowly.

"Are you kidding? We're in the heart of the most notorious red-light district— I'm trying hard enough to _not_ breathe."

"Take… a… damn… sniff," Inuyasha said through grit teeth.

Kouga sighed and did as Inuyasha said, immediately wrinkling his nose. The overwhelming scent of alcohol, sweat, smoke, and sex assaulted his senses and Kouga shook his head lightly to rid it from his palate. He coughed and glared at Inuyasha, digging his nose into his shoulder, inhaling the clean scent of laundry that lingered on his clothes.

"Inuyasha…"

"For fuck's sake… you didn't catch it?" Inuyasha scoffed and resumed his slow approach to the building.

When the pungent smell cleared from Kouga's nose, he frowned at the strangeness of it. He knew the scent of clubs, warehouses, and brothels from the numerous raids he and Inuyasha had done together. But he caught onto the undercurrent of two scents. His blue eyes widened and he stared at Inuyasha before briskness entered his stride.

"You're fucking kidding me… those two inuyoukai?"

Inuyasha smirked, a fang peeking out from the corner of his mouth. "I'd say payback's a bitch but…"

Kouga rolled his eyes and muttered, "Better tell the kids, then."

"Keh! You tell them. I'm getting those bastards."

"Inuyasha— _hey!_ Wait, you can't just— _Inuyasha_!" Groaning, Kouga watched Inuyasha rush into the building. "Dog shit, you can get suspended for breaking protocol!"

"So hurry up and cover me. I thought you were my fucking partner!"

Kouga ran in after Inuyasha. He pulled out his radio and murmured, "Inspectors Kayasaki and Takado taking point and leading the raid into the nightclub in the Marutomo building in Kabukicho. There is evidence to suggest that youkai are the targets and extreme caution must be taken. Aggressive force is expected. Shoot to kill."

The lights were still strobing, distorting the features of the room, and the music still playing loud enough that the sound rattled through their bodies. The two moved in silence as they navigated past the dance floor and bar, through a curtain, and entered the areas marked 'Restricted Access' in the back. Pressing his body against a wall, Inuyasha peered his head out and nodded at Kouga, motioning for him to move. Kouga moved past Inuyasha and took a stance facing one end of the corridor while Inuyasha faced the other, their backs to each other.

"Great idea, Inuyasha," Kouga droned.

"Shut the fuck up and follow after me."

Inuyasha moved stealthily through the darkness, his ears twitching agitatedly as they strained to hear for the slightest shuffle of movement against the clamor of the music. He came across a door and stopped in front of it, looking at Kouga. Kouga made a slight movement in acknowledgement and Inuyasha rushed forward, kicking in the door and hurrying into the center of the room, swiveling to check the corners while he felt Kouga's presence at his back once more, mimicking his movements. Inuyasha quickly lowered his gun and crouched down, a finger to his lips to quiet the whimpering half-naked women huddled in the corner.

"It's okay," Inuyasha whispered. "We're here to help."

The woman continued to stare at him with round, fearful eyes and Inuyasha squinted his eyes at the display of fear as he considered them.

"Kouga…" Inuyasha rose and gestured towards them. "You talk to them. Seeing me puts them on edge."

Kouga frowned. "Why? Unless… they think you're with the other inuyoukai?"

"Which just means I'm right about catching their scent. Look, I spook them so you help them and I'll move in deeper."

"Yeah, right, dog breath. We're _partners_. I watch your back, you watch mine."

Inuyasha glared at Kouga. "I know what partners are. I'm not an idiot."

"Could have fooled me! Trying to get to them on your own? That's a fucking _death_ wish!"

"I can handle it!"

"No!"

Jutting his chin out at the women, Inuyasha told him in a softer town, "Get them to safety, Kouga."

Kouga sighed and pulled out his radio, keeping his arctic eyes on Inuyasha. "I need two officers to escort a group of civilians safely from the premises. Back corridor behind the bar, fourth door on the right. Get them to a bus as soon as possible for medical attention. They're in shock." After returning the walkie to his belt, Kouga pressed his lips into a thin line. "You're not going anywhere without me."

Inuyasha stared at Kouga, an unreadable expression crossing his face, before he nodded grimly. "Stay hidden here," he instructed the women. "Help will be coming soon."

They continued staring at him, their lips and bodies trembling from fear and the cold. Inuyasha took a deep breath and removed his vest and unbuttoned his uniform, leaving him in just the plain white t-shirt that he wore underneath the button down. He thrust the shirt out to the group of women, leaving it in their hands as to whether they would take the offering. One woman shared a look with the other two before raising a shaky hand and grasping the shirt, nodding at Inuyasha in thanks. Inuyasha nodded back and shrugged his vest back on.

"Let's go, wolf cub," he muttered gruffly.

Kouga lingered behind for a heartbeat, sparing a look back at the woman as they tried to huddle underneath Inuyasha's shirt. He offered a tight smile.

"Help will be here soon," he assured them.

Inuyasha and Kouga ran through the halls now, their footsteps light. Both of them had a look of grim determination on their faces. Kouga stopped short and grabbed Inuyasha's shoulder roughly, pulling him back against the wall with him. Before Inuyasha could yell at him, a barrage of bullets flew past from around the corner. Breathing heavily, Inuyasha stared at Kouga, his golden eyes wide. Kouga gestured towards the corner and Inuyasha knelt down, allowing Kouga to take his position from above as they shot their weapons.

After the sound of grunts and heavy thuds, they ran towards the sound, kicking away the fallen guns of the two thugs. Inuyasha glared at them in recognition before he knelt down and took out the cable ties, fastening it around their wrists behind their back.

"As soon as they gain consciousness, these won't do shit to hold them back."

Kouga stared icily at the one wheezing as blood poured from his arm and lower abdomen. He recognized this one as the one Inuyasha fought after beating Sadao.

"Then we should keep them unconscious for as long as possible," Kouga murmured darkly.

With a swift kick to the head, a sickening _crack_ echoed in the hall and the inuyoukai's wheezing quieted slightly for lack of effort as he slipped into unconsciousness.

"Two assailants bound. Won't hold for long. They're youkai. Restrain them as soon as possible," Inuyasha barked into his walkie.

"Let's keep moving. If they're the first line of defense, then we have to keep moving until we get to who's in charge."

"Unless whoever's in charge is already gone and these suckers got left behind as a decoy or distraction."

"Inuyasha—"

The two immediately began sprinting again at the sound of more gunfire and were able to spot the shifting figures in the darkness. They followed after them and ran up the stairs where there was a vacant space above the club that was under construction. Ringing filled their ears as more gunshots echoed around them and they shot as best as they could through the smoke and dust, satisfied by the heavy falls they heard and the diminishing sounds of guns.

Amidst the _pops_ that thundered around them, Inuyasha barely registered the shadowy shape that darted throughout the room. He lunged after where he last saw him when he caught the muted sound of a something hitting flesh. His keen hearing could pick up on the stomach-turning sound of flesh tearing and blood squelching. He and Kouga froze.

The metallic smell of blood filled their noses.

"Help…" a weak voice wheezed.

A youkai's figure filtered from between the smoke. He smirked at Kouga and Inuyasha, a cold malice glimmering in his golden eyes.


	18. Chapter 18

_Last Time…_

_The two immediately began sprinting again at the sound of more gunfire and were able to spot the_ _shifting figures in the darkness. They followed after them and ran up the stairs where there was a vacant space above the club that was under construction. Ringing filled their ears as more gunshots echoed around them and they shot as best as they could through the smoke and dust, satisfied by the heavy falls they heard and the diminishing sounds of guns._

_Amidst the_ pops _that thundered around them, Inuyasha barely registered the shadowy shape that darted throughout the room. He lunged after where he last saw him when he caught the muted sound of something hitting flesh. His keen hearing could pick up on the stomach-turning sound of flesh tearing and blood squelching. He and Kouga froze._

_The metallic smell of blood filled their noses._

" _Help…" a weak voice wheezed._

_A youkai's figure filtered from between the smoke. He smirked at Kouga and Inuyasha, a cold malice glimmering in his golden eyes._

* * *

"Better help him," he crooned smoothly. His voice caused a chill to travel down Inuyasha's spine. The malevolence of it hovered in the atmosphere. Inuyasha caught the dark gleam of blackening blood coating his long claws. The youkai flexed his stained claws, the sight strangely at odds with the rest of his pristine appearance.

' _Damn it, he's fast.'_

Inuyasha's shoulders tightened as he lifted his gun again, his lips pulled back in a fierce snarl. A quick glance behind him told him everything he already guessed. One of the men from the back up tactical team was shuddering on the floor, his lifeblood staining the ground beneath him.

"Deal with it!" Inuyasha growled, shoving Kouga back. "I'll cover!"

Inuyasha began returning fire again, ducking behind a pillar while Kouga dragged the man over behind another pillar to protect them, issuing rapid instructions into his radio while he tried to stem the bleeding. As Kouga struggled to remove the man's vest, he recoiled from the sight in front of him. The inuyoukai had nearly clawed straight through the man— deep gouges that stretched from his chest to hipbone. Kouga couldn't even see where the gouges were because of all of the blood that spilled.

" _Shit_. Shit shit shit shit shit."

Kouga ripped off his own vest and his button down, balling it up before pressing it to his torso. The officer groaned lowly and nearly arched up off of the floor in pain but was so weakened that he couldn't fight Kouga's firm hold, settling back to the ground. Some of the other men hurried to duck behind other pillars while firing back at the inuyoukai thugs that still stood.

"A gun?"

Inuyasha kept silent, sizing up the youkai from his cover behind the pillar. Like all inuyoukai, he had silvery white hair and bright golden eyes. His cheeks were marked by dual magenta stripes and he had a mark of a crescent moon on his forehead. Compared to Inuyasha, he had more elven, delicate features— a full youkai. Inuyasha's own human traits presented themselves through the unruly nature of his hair, the thickness of his eyebrows, the slightly rounder facial structure that made him less alien to humans.

The inuyoukai arched a dark eyebrow at Inuyasha. "Pathetic."

"I'll show you 'pathetic'," Inuyasha grumbled. "Hands up! You're under arrest!"

A sneer curved the youkai's thin lips. "You'll have to detain me for that to happen. And I highly doubt whether you have the ability to do so, half-breed."

Inuyasha bristled at the direct insult towards his heritage. His fingers itched, throbbed, as he fought to control the amount of pressure he held on the trigger.

"Get on the fucking ground and put your hands over your head!"

The youkai's eyes narrowed, a strange gleam catching in his eyes. "That won't be happening tonight. Or ever, I should say."

"I'm warning you, you fucking prick."

Then, he moved so blindingly fast, Inuyasha nearly didn't have time to dive out of the way, his gun clattering across the concrete and the youkai's claws catching the air where his stomach had been before. Inuyasha landed clumsily, unprepared to block such a sudden move. He allowed his momentum to take over and rolled through the stumble before pressing the balls of his feet against the floor to lunge back at the youkai, his gun forgotten in the chaos.

If he wanted an old-fashioned youkai fight, he was going to get it.

Swiping at him, Inuyasha's eyes widened as the youkai seemed to shimmer out of existence. Then, he arched his back as the sting of fresh gouges coursed down his right shoulder. Inuyasha immediately spun and swung his claws forward, managing to catch the youkai on his side. There was the ripping sound of fabric and when Inuyasha pulled his hand back, he saw that his claws were tinged with blood.

He smirked.

' _I've got this bastard's DNA now.'_

They froze to stare at each other, the youkai's expression still carefully composed. But when Inuyasha took a quick look at his eyes, the youkai's eyes were minutely wider than before, the shock that Inuyasha managed to catch him evident. The shock promptly transformed into a cold fury and the youkai shot forward and Inuyasha flew backwards before he could recognize that the youkai landed another blow on him. He smashed through one pillar and slammed against another one, groaning and wheezing through the intense ache in his chest. Pulling away a shaky hand from his abdomen, Inuyasha felt the sticky warmth of his blood.

" _Fuck_ ," he breathed.

Inuyasha looked up to see the youkai standing meters away, his lips curled back in a condescending grimace.

"Second-class whelp," he hissed and Inuyasha froze from the sheer vitriol in his tone. "I should have done this years ago."

Raising his claws, the youkai stared at Inuyasha with clear disdain in his expression. His claws began to glow a bright harlequin color. The light warped and compressed until it was as if the youkai were holding a thin whip. He struck his arm down and Inuyasha struggled to leap out of the way when Kouga flew through the air and collided with the youkai, giving Inuyasha enough time to pull himself up, gripping the wound over his chest, acknowledging the searing burn creeping in at the edges of gashes on his chest.

"Careful, Kouga! He's a poison youkai!"

Kouga growled as he tried to dodge the relentless barrage of hits from the inuyoukai. Narrowly, he avoided a close call between the inuyoukai's whip and his face.

"I figured that!"

The inuyoukai still had his mask of composure as he fought before the look in his golden eyes slid over to something Kouga didn't have the luxury of time to catch. Kouga made to strike but his breath escaped him in a gurgle as the inuyoukai wrapped his claws around the column of his throat. He considered Kouga, his expression impassive.

"Full youkai but of a lesser class than myself."

Kouga's arctic eyes began to tear from the lack of oxygen.

"You and the bastard will end your insipid investigation," the inuyoukai said in a tone that suggested finality.

His face contorting with the effort, Kouga kipped his body so that his knees jerked up and thrust his legs to shove at the inuyoukai's chest. Although he managed to dislodge the hand from his throat, the youkai's claws scraped and tore at the delicate skin as it was wrenched away. Kouga fell hard onto his knees, one hand bracing himself on the ground while the other clutched his neck, his blood trailing down his front.

Inuyasha's yell echoed in the space as he flung his arm from his body, blades of his blood infused with his youki and acting as weapons directed towards the other youkai. The inuyoukai batted away the attack as if they were a young kitsune's foxfire.

The youkai, however, grunted in surprise if not actual pain, from the next blow Inuyasha dealt him. In the time he took to deal with Inuyasha's hijin kesso, the hanyou had found his gun on the floor and shot him multiple times in the torso. Inuyasha continued to advance on him, firing the whole magazine.

"Who the hell are you?" Inuyasha demanded, his steps staggering.

The inuyoukai stared distastefully at the crimson stains on his previously pristine white button-down and brought his gaze back up to meet Inuyasha's. He turned, his eyes and ears hearing something that even Inuyasha couldn't decipher.

"Another time then."

Inuyasha scowled in confusion. "What do you mean 'another time'? What the fuck are you talking about, you bastard? You must be batshit insane—"

There was a shift in the air and Inuyasha turned away to shield himself from the ensuing blast, crashing against a far wall. Inuyasha heard groans from the other men in the room and lifted his head. The room was glowing from the rumble of fire and smoke was quickly filling the space. He held an arm to his nose, his eyes watering, and found Kouga as he rose to his feet. Inuyasha picked up a large piece of cement that had broken from the explosion and threw it against a window, repeating the process for another window.

"We gotta get them out of here!" Inuyasha screamed, gesturing at the prone bodies of the human members of the tactical team.

"Where the fuck did that asshole go?" Kouga growled, one man already slung over his shoulder.

Inuyasha heaved another man over his shoulder and glared in the direction of where the inuyoukai stood. The smell of the smoke and everything it was burning overwhelmed him and masked the inuyoukai's scent. "Forget about him for now. We need to get out of here."

Kouga pulled another man over his other shoulder and leapt out of the window, Inuyasha following after him. Handing the men off to the crowds of emergency personnel surrounding the building, Kouga leapt back in for the last man inside— the one the inuyoukai had nearly ripped apart with his claws.

"Is everyone out of the building?" Inuyasha demanded.

"Yes, sir. We managed to subdue the men you and Inspector Kayasaki restrained and several other men the others took down. The ones not seriously injured are headed to the station. Others to the hospital."

"Get _these_ men on gurneys quickly. They need to go to the hospital ASAP." Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at the men on gurneys he knew were part of the crime syndicate. "Make sure the suspects are watched at all times. Youkai cops preferably. Not letting these sons of bitches get away again."

Kouga landed and pushed through the sea of officers to make sure the man in his arms got priority to go to a hospital. "Out of my way!" he bellowed, careful not to handle him too roughly. He pushed his way into a waiting ambulance, the paramedics quick to attend to the fallen officer with grim looks on their face at their first assessment.

"You need to stop the bleeding!"

One of the paramedics eyed Kouga. "Sir, we know how to do our job. If you don't calm down, we'll have to ask you to leave."

Kouga's face darkened and his claws curled into fists. "Don't _fucking_ tell me to calm down!"

"Oi! Quit arguing and get him to the damn hospital!"

"Inspector Takado!"

Inuyasha whirled around, scowling, and immediately schooled his features when he saw it was the senior superintendent of his headquarters. "Sir."

"You need to get looked at, too, son."

Fighting the urge to bristle at the diminutive title from a man that _certainly_ was not his father, Inuyasha nodded curtly and jumped into the back of the ambulance that held Kouga.

"And Inspectors?"

Kouga and Inuyasha raised their eyes to his warily.

"Damn good job tonight." The chief then nodded at them encouragingly before slamming the doors of the vehicle.

"Drive!" Inuyasha instructed before dropping down next to Kouga on the small bench in the back, hissing in pain when he crossed his arms, aggravating the pulled skin of his shoulder, back, and chest. "I swear to all that is good, I'm going to get that fucker back for what he just pulled."

Kouga snorted and nodded his agreement. "A hundred times over," he growled lowly, his eyes focused on the man bleeding out in front of them.

The duo listlessly followed after the gurney as the paramedics were swarmed by the hospital's emergency staff, slowing to a complete stop once the crowd of people passed through double doors that they knew they had no access to. Inuyasha leaned against the wall exhaustedly while Kouga sat on a chair, cradling his head in his hands. The hanyou observed his partner carefully, noting the deep cuts surrounding Kouga's neck as well as on his arms that indicated where the inuyoukai's poison whip managed to connect. Inuyasha frowned and jerked his head at Kouga, grunting at him gruffly to get his attention. Kouga raised his head to meet his gaze.

"You alright, wolf cub?"

Taking a moment to look down at himself, Kouga nodded slowly. "Don't worry about me, Inuyasha. _You_ look like shit."

Inuyasha smirked back and relaxed against the wall. "Keh! This is nothing."

A young woman approached the two hesitantly and Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her appraisingly. She offered a sheepish smile before bowing quickly, smoothing the pristine white uniform she wore when she straightened up.

"Excuse me, Inspectors, but we've been receiving frantic calls at the nurses station for an Inspector Kayasaki?"

Kouga immediately stood, cursing under his breath. He asked, "The caller wouldn't happen to be a woman in her mid-twenties, would it? Has a sweet sounding voice but the amazing ability to suddenly make you break out in a cold sweat from the danger in her tone?"

The nurse flushed slightly but nodded while an apologetic smile graced her features. "Your wife has been… diligent."

"Yeah, that's Kagome," Kouga muttered. "If you could point me in the direction of your nearest phone? Mine was destroyed in the explosion."

"After me."

Kouga shot Inuyasha an exasperated look and Inuyasha snickered not inconspicuously as he followed after the two. Inuyasha watched with clear amusement as Kouga dialed the phone, grimacing when Kagome answered the call. Superhuman hearing wasn't necessary to hear the female voice from the phone and several of the nurses giggled or gave Kouga sympathetic glances.

"No, Kagome. It's not necessary. I'm fine, I promise you. It's late and I don't want you traveling into the city. Stay home."

A frown marred Kouga's features and he turned slightly and Inuyasha couldn't see his face anymore. "Kagome, please don't cry... I'll be home soon. I'm okay."

Inuyasha stiffened and a flare burned through his chest that was completely unrelated to the deep wound he had there. The smug look fell from his face and his ears twitched as he strived to hear Kagome's end of the conversation, but the bustle of the hospital waiting room was too loud and she had ended her panicked tirade, opting for quiet worry.

Kouga voice was low, soothing as he coaxed his wife down from her hysteria. "Kagome, listen to me. _I'm okay_. I'm just here to make sure one of the other guys is okay. He got hurt pretty badly. He's in surgery… I don't know… he lost a lot of blood." Kouga turned over his shoulder to glance at Inuyasha, rolling his eyes. "The mutt's fine. He's still standing."

Kagome's concern for him caused another burn in Inuyasha's chest, but it was a pleasant, comforting warmth that settled within him. He relaxed his posture and ignored Kouga pointedly when he caught another familiar scent. A blur ran to the nurses' station and she began hurriedly looking through the files.

"How many men have come from that explosion in Kabukicho?"

"The gang fight the police broke up?" another nurse asked. "It was huge. There are cops scattered to a bunch of hospitals in the city."

The first nurse clicked her tongue in annoyance. "I didn't ask that. I asked about the ones who came _here_. Where are their files?"

"Calm down, Yorozoku-san. A bus just arrived— there are more on the way. The trauma rooms are being prepped for their arrival."

"No, I _know_ the man I'm looking for is here. He has to be!"

"Ayame."

The auburn haired woman tore her eyes from the pile of clipboards to stare at Inuyasha with wide eyes. The green orbs, usually spitting fire or sparkling with playfulness were wide with fear.

"Inuyasha?"

Before Inuyasha could respond, his childhood friend ran around and threw herself into him, wrapping her slender arms around him tightly. Inuyasha couldn't help but tense up and hiss in pain when she unintentionally aggravated his wounds. Immediately, Ayame pulled away and stared at the crimson staining her previously immaculate uniform.

"You're hurt!" she cried. Ayame glared at him. "Why aren't you being treated?"

Inuyasha returned the glare and retorted, "Because I don't need any treatment. This will heal up by morning."

Narrowing her eyes at him, Ayame placed her hands on her hips threateningly. "You stubborn little—"

"Watch it," Inuyasha growled.

"Aw shove it, Inuyasha. She's worried about you."

Ayame immediately dropped her stance and stared at Kouga, her cheeks turning slightly pink. "Kayasaki-san," she greeted bashfully.

Kouga smiled at her. "Call me Kouga. And forgive my partner for being a first class asshole. Dumb mutt has no idea what being a nice person and having genuine concern for someone else is like."

Inuyasha leaned forward towards him, his teeth bared. Ayame pushed Inuyasha back firmly, keeping her hand on his uninjured shoulder and away from his chest wound.

"Enough!" she hissed. "Kami, you're irritable. More so than usual, so you _must_ be in some kind of pain. Come on, I'll find Miroku since he's the only one patient enough to deal with you."

"I don't fucking need Miroku!"

"You just ruined my uniform with your blood so I'd have to say you do!"

"Inuyasha, you got that guy's blood on your claws. Have Miroku swab it and bag it. You're a walking piece of evidence."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "You trust that bumbling fool with evidence?"

Kouga retorted, his gaze cool, "We already know that the bastard has all kinds of people corrupt in the force. Who knows who else is in his pocket? I trust Miroku more than anyone else here." His eyes slid over to Ayame. "No offense."

Ayame raised an eyebrow at him while she stared at him thoughtfully. "None taken." She turned back to Inuyasha. "Now will you please come with me? You look horrible and the sooner Miroku deals with you, the sooner you can shower."

His eyes widening in offense, Inuyasha yelled, "Hey!" while she pulled him away.

The remaining wolf youkai stared at the duo with a contemplative gleam in his blue eyes. He turned back to the nurses at the desk and smiled weakly. "Would someone be available to dress my wounds? I'd like to get home to my wife as soon as possible. I don't think my friend will get out of here anytime soon."

The head nurse shook her head sadly. "He was in pretty bad condition. He'll be in surgery for a while."

Kouga chuckled. "I figured that. But I was referring to my partner being dragged away by Yorozoku-san."

The man in question pouted heavily, his face grim and his lower lip slightly pushed out like an upset child. He bounced his knee restlessly while his ears twitched in a clear signal of his agitation. Ayame rolled her eyes and threw him an exasperated sigh.

"Honestly, Inuyasha, you're worse than a lot of the pediatric patients I see." She turned away from him to rummage through the supplies for fresh gauze and medical tape. "You're lucky you're resistant to that poison… I haven't seen anything so caustic before."

"Keh! Of course you wouldn't. If the bastard used it before, he probably made sure his victims died."

Ayame froze, the supplies clattering from her hands back onto the metal tray. She turned back to Inuyasha, her green eyes bright with a thin wash of unshed tears. Inuyasha gulped nervously and leaned away self-consciously. He frowned and stared at his claws folded on his lap.

"How did you know I was here?" he murmured quietly.

It was Ayame's turn to frown at him. She flexed her hands out of nervousness and sat down on the edge of the bed next to him, hanging her head, mimicking his posture. She began to wring her fingers together.

"I was treating a woman from the club… she had a shirt over her shoulders and I could smell your scent on it. And… I didn't know what happened and she said you gave her your shirt before you and Kouga ran off and she heard gunshots."

"Well I'm fine," Inuyasha said bluntly.

Ayame looked up at him with hurt coloring her features, tempered by understanding in her eyes. "I can see that my worrying was unfounded," she quipped tartly.

"Good to hear. Inuyasha just enjoys the attention he gets from diving into life threatening situations."

Inuyasha and Ayame turned to see Miroku enter the room, his countenance unusually grave in direct juxtaposition to the doctor's typically jovial attitude.

"Kouga tells me you have evidence for me?"

Scoffing, Inuyasha shoved his claws at Miroku. The dark-haired man stared down the line of his nose at the razor sharp claws tinged with dried blood. His lip curled slightly as he grimaced and pushed away the limb.

"Lovely. Go ahead and take off your t-shirt, Inuyasha. That's evidence too."

Miroku handed Ayame a clear bag marked with 'EVIDENCE' tape. "Put it in there while I ready the swabs. Then we can bandage up your back and chest and send you home."

"Long night?" Inuyasha drawled, hearing the tinge of fatigue in his friend's voice.

"I haven't been home in almost forty hours. And I haven't seen Sango in nearly three days," Miroku grumbled. He knit his eyebrows together as he concentrated, catching the dried blood onto the swab before dropping it into a smaller evidence bag and sealing it. "Just a few more," he muttered.

He had managed to clean Inuyasha's claws of the blood and yawned before preparing to wrap Inuyasha's torso. "I've seen your bare torso more often than I've seen my girlfriend's in the past few months."

Inuyasha leveled a glare at Miroku while he raised his arms to allow Miroku to reach around him and unravel the cloth. Ayame laughed quietly from where she stood behind Miroku, earning herself her own glare from the hanyou.

"Ever think maybe she's just not happy with your performance in bed and would rather spare herself?" he sneered.

"Inuyasha!"

The three turned to see Kouga and Kagome standing in the threshold, their hands clasped. Kouga's neck was wrapped with bandages and he wore a new shirt and pants that Kagome probably brought for him to change into. Inuyasha couldn't catch the scent of blood or gunfire and weathered a guess that he also managed a shower, causing Inuyasha to pout, envious of Kouga's situation. Kouga's tattered uniform was sealed inside an evidence bag in his free hand. He appeared to be highly amused while Kagome glowered at Inuyasha with reproach.

Miroku chuckled affably and waved away Kagome's irritation. "Don't worry about it, Kagome. I'm more than used to Inuyasha's dark sense of humor."

"If that's what you call a sense of humor," Kagome whispered dryly.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "Got something to say, Higurashi?" he said lowly.

"Just wanted to make sure you were safe. For all I know, you and Kouga's definition of 'fine' could be the same as bleeding out on an operating table. I wouldn't know if anything happened to either of you until I got the phone call."

Kouga frowned and dropped the evidence bag and pulled her closer to him, rubbing her hair soothingly with one hand while the other squeezed hers reassuringly. "Hey, that's not true," he muttered numbly. "Kagome, you know I wouldn't leave you like that."

Kagome met his gaze uncertainly. "I'm scared that the decision won't always be yours to make," she confessed quietly.

He lowered his lips to hers in a brief, comforting kiss. "I won't let that happen," he said fiercely.

Kagome curled into his chest and sighed deeply. "Okay," she allowed. "Let's just go home. I'm sure you have an early day tomorrow after what happened tonight."

"Actually, he and I are stuck on desk duty for a while."

Inuyasha nearly jumped up from the bed, if not for Miroku's quickness to push him back down while he continued dressing his wounds.

"What?" Inuyasha demanded.

"That's why I came looking for you. Don't worry, not in a disciplinary way. Just to keep the heat off of us. Superintendent is worried we might have a target on our backs." Kouga held Kagome more tightly. "Also means protection detail for you and your family. You think maybe we can finally convince your grandfather to move in temporarily?"

Kagome made to shake her head in refusal, her honey eyes sorrowful. Inuyasha snorted. "Fat chance of getting that geezer to leave the damn shrine. Last time Kagome suggested it, her old man nearly bit her head off for it."

"So what do you suggest we do? Let her grandfather fend for himself in the shrine? Alone?"

"Keh! I'll stay there with him."

Frowning in confusion, Kagome lifted her head from where it was pillowed against Kouga's chest. "Inuyasha?"

"Did I fucking stutter? I'll watch over the crazy old man until the threat's passed."

Kagome blinked at him owlishly before she beamed tiredly at him. "Thank you," she said sincerely.

Inuyasha shrugged nonchalantly and quickly turned away, but not before Ayame managed to catch the slightly pink tinge to his cheeks. She smiled at him in a mixture of apology and sympathy.


	19. Chapter 19

_Last Time…_

" _Also means protection detail for you and your family. You think maybe we can finally convince your grandfather to move in temporarily?"_

_Kagome made to shake her head in refusal, her honey eyes sorrowful. Inuyasha snorted. "Fat chance of getting that geezer to leave the damn shrine. Last time Kagome suggested it, her old man nearly bit her head off for it."_

" _So what do you suggest we do? Let her grandfather fend for himself in the shrine? Alone?"_

" _Keh! I'll stay there with him."_

_Frowning in confusion, Kagome lifted her head from where it was pillowed against Kouga's chest. "Inuyasha?"_

" _Did I fucking stutter? I'll watch over the crazy old man until the threat's passed."_

_Kagome blinked at him owlishly before she beamed tiredly at him. "Thank you," she said sincerely._

_Inuyasha shrugged nonchalantly but quickly turned away, but not before Ayame managed to catch the slightly pink tinge to his cheeks. She smiled at him in a mixture of apology and sympathy._

* * *

Kagome shifted her weight nervously, chewing on her lower lip as she watched her father move around the guest bedroom, methodically organizing his belongings and packing them into the suitcase he brought when he first moved in temporarily with Kouga and Kagome. She frowned and leaned against the doorway, lightly picking at the wood of the frame. Sadao sighed and sank onto the edge of his bed, returning her frown.

"You'll ruin the varnish of the wood," he warned her, though not unkindly.

Immediately, Kagome brought her nail away from the door and blushed with an abashed grimace.

"Kagome, I need to go back to my home."

"I know…" Kagome stared resolutely at her feet before she sighed and crossed the room to take the clothes he had folded neatly on the bed and placed it into his half-filled suitcase. Settling back on her ankles as she kneeled in front of it, Kagome sighed again and looked up at her father with large, pleading eyes. "I know you have to go back to the shrine, but you _just_ got better and after what happened to Kouga a few weeks ago… I… uh, well… I'd feel better having you nearby."

"You cannot spend your life worrying over me. That's _my_ job, Kagome. You'll understand when you have your own children."

Sadao beckoned for Kagome to rise up from the floor and he took one of her hands in both of his, patting the top of her hand comfortingly. "I told you that I would move back after I was fully healed. I can't leave that shrine. It's the last piece of Satori that I have aside from you and Souta. Go back to work Kagome. Take care of your husband. I've overstayed my welcome here."

"But Dad—"

Her father's face creased with stern obstinacy. "Kagome," he said warningly, "It's time."

Standing slowly, Sadao groaned quietly from his body's resistance, and continued packing while Kagome watched him, a pensive frown etched onto her face. Her brow creased as she stared at him, her gaze falling to her restless fingers in her lap.

"Okay," she murmured. "You're right."

"Kagome, don't ever let this be misconstrued as me not wanting to be near you. I love you. But the shrine isn't that far. And your grandfather and I got by well enough the past couple of years since you moved out to go to university. Our safety should be the least of your worries, especially since Inuyasha elected to live with us for the meantime."

An ironic smile brightened Kagome's face and she laughed lightly. "I still can't believe he's been living at the shrine for nearly two months and lasted. I can't believe jii-chan _let_ him."

Sadao's lips quirked up in the briefest of smiles. "Those two are more alike than either would care to admit."

With a roll of her eyes and a disbelieving snort, Kagome took the packed suitcase from her father's hands and ignored his protests as she rolled it out of the room, his other duffle bag already slung over her shoulder. She tossed her thick hair over her shoulder and turned to him as he followed her out of the bedroom.

"I have to admit, I don't see it."

Cryptically, but with complete confidence, Sadao told her, "Just you wait until you see Inuyasha at that age."

Kagome laughed lightly. "I don't think I will, Dad. He's a hanyou. It'll be centuries, maybe millennia before Inuyasha reaches the equivalent of jii-chan's age."

Her father's step faltered slightly and Kagome's face fell and immediately filled with concern. "Dad?"

"It's nothing," he assured her. Sadao cleared his throat and resumed his gait. "But don't you gain the longer lifespan as well? Being married to a youkai?"

Kagome's breath hitched, considering her words carefully. "If a youkai chooses a human for his or her mate… then yes, the human would be bound to the youkai and their bond would result in lengthening his or her lifespan to match the youkai's."

"You said 'mate'." The unspoken question in Sadao's voice lingered in the air between them.

Fighting the urge to cringe, Kagome silently cursed her father's observational capabilities. "When a youkai chooses a life partner, they mate. It's their version of marriage… It's for life— or eternity, I guess, is closer to the truth since youkai outlive humans by lifetimes… It's a process that binds their souls together. There's no divorce. Losing your mate literally means losing half of your soul."

Sadao narrowed his eyes at her while he absorbed her words, coming to his own conclusions. "And you are Kouga's wife."

Kagome nodded swallowed harshly, her mouth suddenly dry. "Yes," she said tightly.

"But not his mate."

"Yes," she said in the same, terse tone. She looked ready to start defending her choice, her mouth set in a hard line, her shoulders rising slightly with tension.

"It is your decision, Kagome." Sadao glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Though I wonder how Kouga will cope with the loss of you."

The defiant expression melted off of Kagome's face and she blanched, her mouth going slack. "I guess I'd never thought about that," she whispered shamefully.

"I'm not trying to guilt you into anything, Kagome. It's in my nature— you understand. You were taught the same things I was in law school. We don't know how to leave well enough alone, do we? Just keep digging for more information, keep asking questions."

Kagome blinked at him, trying to ignore the heavy, oppressive feeling settling over her. Even though her father said that he wasn't trying to, it left a nasty, familiar taste in her mouth, the guilt. "Right," she said lamely.

* * *

Inuyasha scowled and settled back against the back of his chair, a solemn light entering the golden depths of his eyes. His jaw tightened slightly and the veins of his forearms and hands protruded from the tension held within his body. He shook his head in disbelief.

"Fuck," he muttered.

Kouga nodded somberly in fierce agreement. "Thought he made it through the worst already. They were getting ready to move him from the ICU and have him recuperate until he was good enough to be discharged. He would've been out in maybe a month. Then, he slipped into a coma after convulsing. Turns out there were residual complications from his injuries that they didn't anticipate. Internal hemorrhaging. They couldn't bring him back this time."

Hunching over, his shoulders bunching up to where his ears would have been if he were human, Inuyasha's eyes disappeared beneath the shadow cast by his thick bangs. "He was starting to wake up. Little snatches of consciousness. His girlfriend and I really thought we'd see him walk out of there…" Inuyasha's fists tightened.

"Service is this weekend," Kouga said quietly, numbly.

The silence lingered between them, heavy and suffocating.

"Kouga, I don't care if it's the last fucking thing I do. I'm killing that bastard. I don't care if we catch him— I'm not bringing him in so he can use his lawyers to bail him out. I'm killing him."

"I know," Kouga said ominously. "And I'll be right there with you."

The two met each other's gaze and nodded resolutely. Lowering his eyes, Inuyasha glowered at his hands before locking eyes with Kouga again. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Look," he said roughly. "About what happened at the club… I… damn it. Just— thanks, okay? For taking on that damn youkai when he was about to punch a hole through my chest."

Kouga's brow came together. "You're like a cockroach— you would've survived." At Inuyasha's irritated glance, Kouga sighed. "Of course. You're my partner, Inuyasha. I have your back just like you watch mine."

The two men locked eyes and Inuyasha glared, though Kouga knew it wasn't directed at him, more an expression of his inner anger at something else. "And… I'm sorry about going off on my own. You're right. I could've gotten my badge and gun taken. Or killed." Inuyasha's head bobbed in a jerky nod. "Thanks."

Smirking at him, Kouga slapped Inuyasha's back fraternally. "Like I said, dog face. Partners— we need to have each other's backs or we're fucked."

With a heavy sigh, Kouga leaned back and crossed his arms behind his head, his fingers lazily intertwined as they cradled his head. His crystal blue eyes surveyed the homey, lived-in kitchen. His hearing picked up the faint scratching of bristles against concrete and he knew his grandfather-in-law was tidying up the top of the shrine steps from the crisp leaves beginning to fall from the trees, proclaiming the arrival of summer's end.

"How's it been?"

Inuyasha snorted. "Quiet. We keep to ourselves mostly. Obviously, with my hours, I'm not here too often. But I'm here more often than I was at my place."

Kouga rolled his eyes. "No shit. It's an unofficial protection detail. It's more work for you, you masochist."

Grinning, Inuyasha parroted Kouga's posture, leaning against his chair across the table. "I must be since I'm still here even though Sadao is moving back in."

Kouga's face fell slightly. "Kagome's worried about him."

"Keh! She worries too much. They're fine. I'm here, aren't I?"

"Maybe that's why she's worried," Kouga countered wryly, a smug smirk appearing on his lips.

"My mother likes to drop by and keep the old man company…" Inuyasha commented offhandedly, ignoring Kouga's bait. "Says that I'm not much of a conversationalist and that the geezer would probably enjoy it."

Kouga inclined his head in agreement. "And at least that guarantees the two of you are eating more than instant noodles."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "I can cook fine, damn it. We can't all have a pair of siblings that happen to know their way around a kitchen."

Grinning, Kouga's face brightened at the mention of Kagome. "It's a mixed blessing. Being around Souta so often, it's like Kagome's a teenager again. Can't help but fall for it when Souta baits her into an argument."

"I bet." Inuyasha eyed him carefully, oddly on edge. "Hey, when is Souta moving back into the dormitory? He starts classes soon right?"

"Already helped him move back in last weekend. He video called Kagome last night. Already complaining about his schedule."

A satisfied gleam appeared in Inuyasha's eyes and he visibly relaxed. After his last confrontation with Souta concerning his decision to drop out of school, he had left the young man alone so that he didn't seem too pushy and force Souta to act out. As far as he could tell, Souta stopped selling drugs and focused on his summer classes, earning enough credits to make up for the half-semester he missed out on. Inuyasha made a mental note to check up on him again and make sure he was really enrolled back at school and not pulling an elaborate trick on Kagome.

His contemplative gaze slid over to the two weekend bags Kouga had brought with him after coming straight from the precinct.

"Guess you're not making it to the service."

With a frown, Kouga shook his head. "Planned this weeks ago."

"Kagome know?" Inuyasha jerked his head at the bags.

Kouga shot him a dry look. "No, which is why I have her bag packed and ready. It's a surprise, mutt. You know, a romantic gesture? With everything that's happened the past few months, Kagome deserves a break. Our third wedding anniversary's coming up. I figured this was the perfect time."

Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow at him. "She'll kill you for pulling her away from work."

"Already talked to her secretary and had her clear her schedule so she could have a long weekend. Kagome would have nothing to do if she tried to go to work."

"Thought of everything, didn't you?"

Kouga smirked. "Might have forgotten to pack her underwear."

A shudder involuntarily ran through Inuyasha's body and he curled a lip in disgust, closing his eyes against the implications of Kouga's smug words. He hissed quietly when his claws pricked through the skin of his palms from clenching his fists too tightly.

"Jii-chan?" a soft voice rang out throughout the quiet shrine.

"That'll be them," Kouga muttered. "Better carry Sadao up the stairs."

Inuyasha acknowledged him with a mute stare and stood to follow after him, slowing as he glanced at the bags innocuously stacked atop each other by the front door of the house. He looked down at the small dots of red on his palms and hastily wiped them away, his skin already healed beneath. Walking out and looking over the edge of the tall stairs, he waited as Kouga leapt up as gently as he could with Sadao in his arms, electing to leap a few steps at a time as opposed to a single giant leap that would startle the man. Kagome was slowly trailing after, her arms full of her father's belongings.

Without thinking about it, Inuyasha hurried down and easily picked up Kagome and the two bags, putting her down lightly at the top of the stairs. Kagome blinked as she waited for her equilibrium to come back, taken aback by the swiftness with which Inuyasha had moved. Lowering the bags, she pushed her wind-swept bangs out of her eyes.

"A little warning would've been nice."

"You would've refused. I was saving the both of us time and energy," Inuyasha retorted.

"Kagome, I told you to leave the bags and I'd go back down for them."

Kagome waved away Kouga's concern before reaching towards him to kiss him chastely. "I didn't want to leave them on the street," she huffed.

"Could've had the cab driver watch over the bags. I'm sure he wouldn't have minded," Kouga objected while he pressed his face into her hair affectionately.

Making a face, Kagome leaned into him and murmured, "Moot point. What's done is done."

Inuyasha raised his eyebrows at that. If it had been him in Kouga's situation, Kagome definitely would have picked a fight insisting on not needing anyone's help like some damsel in distress. He swallowed roughly.

' _Her and Kouga's relationship is different than ours was,'_ he reminded himself.

Kagome turned in Kouga's arms and stared at the home she lived in for most of her childhood—Satori had wanted to move back in after her mother died, not wanting her father to be left alone. Kagome was a toddler then and she had few memories of her grandmother. Souta had none, being born after her passing. He knew no other home except the shrine.

"Kagome?"

"Hm?" Kagome turned her chin towards Kouga, though she still faced the shrine. Briefly, she registered how her father and grandfather walked back into the house, Inuyasha trudging after them with Sadao's bags in hand.

"C'mon, Kagome." Kouga's breath was warm against the back of her neck. She could feel the rumble of his chest pressed behind her as he spoke. His scent filled her nostrils and she took a deep breath. She gave no indication of moving and Kouga nuzzled the nape of her neck insistently, softly whining. "Kagome… I have a surprise."

Finally turning around in his arms, Kagome pressed her palms against his firm chest, looking up at him expectantly with wide brown eyes. She arched a dark eyebrow at him. "A surprise?"

Kouga smirked at her. "Our anniversary is next week and I figured we could go out of town for a little bit and have a long weekend to celebrate."

Kagome's expression softened and her eyes took on a warm light. She gently traced her fingers along his jawline before her mouth twisted into an apologetic grimace. "You have _no_ idea how much I would love that, Kouga, but I have so much work to do. And I can't just leave town!"

Reaching up to take her hands in his, Kouga's smirk grew into a full-blown grin, his eyes shining with excitement. "Yes, yes you can."

"But Kouga—"

"I called Chiro last week. She cleared your schedule for tomorrow which means we can leave tonight and be back in time for you to get to work Monday morning."

"My cases—"

"Have been momentarily handed onto your other co-workers who were more than happy to manage them for _one day_. They all agreed you deserve a break." His face fell slightly. "I thought you'd be more excited."

"I _am_. This is so thoughtful and a great surprise." Kagome shot him an apologetic look. "I guess I _have_ been preoccupied with everything that's happened… I'm sorry."

Kagome rose up on her toes and kissed him lightly. Kouga couldn't help but surrender to the feeling of her warm, soft lips molding over his and he returned her kiss fervently. He tasted her lips and Kagome opened for him, allowing him to taste more of her as he brushed his tongue against hers, eliciting a low whine from her. Kouga smiled against her lips and slowly pulled away, opening his eyes to the dazed look on Kagome's face.

"That's what I was hoping to see," he murmured. "We haven't had time to ourselves in months. I miss you, Kagome."

Kagome beamed up at him, a faint blush dusting the tops of her cheeks. "Okay!" She nodded at him enthusiastically. "Okay!" she cried with a happy laugh. "I have to go home and pack a bag!"

"Already taken care of. I packed a bag for you before I left for work this morning. I brought it with me. We can leave right now."

"To where?"

Kouga chuckled. "Don't worry. We won't be going too far. I know you'd spend too much time worrying about home. But we _are_ getting out of Tokyo. I think it'll do the both of us some good to get out of here for a little bit." His eyes darkened and he pressed closer to her. "Get reacquainted," he whispered huskily.

Kagome's blush deepened and she could feel the heat spread down her neck and to her ears. Ignoring Kouga's suggestive tone, Kagome wrapped her arms around his chest and smiled up at him.

"Thank you."

Sighing against her before resting his cheek on the crown of her head and squeezing her in his embrace. "I love you, Kagome."

Inside the house, Inuyasha sat distractedly at the kitchen table, his head bowed while he sat in the chair rigidly. He tried not to react strongly when Kagome and Kouga entered the house, Kagome excitedly telling her father and grandfather that she and Kouga were traveling to Nikko National Park for the weekend. Sadao smiled warmly at his daughter and wished her and Kouga a safe trip and told her to enjoy herself. Inuyasha was so absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn't realized that Kagome was calling his name.

He lifted his head, his gold eyes nearly bugging out at her proximity to him. Kagome's face was inches away, her lips pouting as she stared at him in concern.

"Inuyasha? Are you okay?"

Kagome lifted a hand towards him to feel his forehead and out of reflexive habit, Inuyasha snatched her wrist, his eyes boring into hers. She raised her eyebrows at him but didn't try to pull her hand away, that look of concern still painted over her face.

Inuyasha blinked and slowly released her hand. "Sorry," he said gruffly.

"It's fine," she said dismissively. "You okay?"

"Guess I just zoned out," Inuyasha sniffed dully. He raised his eyes and met Kouga's eyes. "Heading out now?"

Kouga nodded, his arms crossed over his chest. "You sure you okay?"

Inuyasha brushed off his concern with a roll of his eyes. "Don't worry about me. The two of you just hurry off and relax while the rest of us act like real adults and do their jobs."

Kagome narrowed her eyes at him. "Quit being such a petty jerk," she scolded. "It's your own fault you don't take enough time to yourself." She sighed and gently placed her hand on his knee, squeezing reassuringly. "Do me a favor and take it easy this weekend, okay?"

Staring at her, Inuyasha found himself entranced by the softness of her honey eyes and before he could stop himself, he took a deep breath to inhale her scent. The sweet, floral scent filled him and the tension melted off of him so that he ended up obliging her with a curt nod. Kagome bestowed Inuyasha with a pleased smile and finally pulled her hand away to rise up to her feet and hug her father.

"Enjoy yourselves, you two," Sadao told them with mock sternness.

"Will do, sir," Kouga chirped happily.

"Take it easy, okay, Dad?"

"Keh! Don't worry about them. I'm here," Inuyasha reminded her.

Inuyasha startled when Kagome's small frame collided against his chest, her slender arms wrapping around him as much as they could. She rose up and lightly pressed her lips against his cheek. The briefest of touches, but it sent a shock straight down his spine and Inuyasha had to resist the urge to touch his cheek where her lips had been.

"Thanks again, Inuyasha."

Just as quickly as Kagome was in his arms, she had flitted away to Kouga's side, trying in vain to take her bag from him. Kagome rolled her eyes and sighed, acquiescing to her husband with an exaggerated toss of her hands into the air. She threw a quick grin over her shoulder once more before disappearing through the door after Kouga. Moments later, the sound of an engine coming to life and speeding away echoed in Inuyasha's ears.

Kagome's grandfather raised his arms over his head in a languid stretch, wincing at the pull on his weary bones and tight muscles. He raised a hand lazily at Sadao and Inuyasha before retreating towards the hallway where his bedroom was.

"Good night, giri no chichi," Sadao called out.

"Wake me when dinner's ready!"

Inuyasha ticked an eyebrow up at the formal and highly respectful way with which Sadao addressed his father-in-law. With Kouga and Kagome gone, Inuyasha and Sadao were left alone. He met the older man's gaze to find him staring back at his unofficial protector.

"Thank you, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha fought the blush that threatened to creep up on him, but the telltale heat prickled his skin. "It's nothing. I already told Kagome I don't mind…"

"Yes, I'm well versed with the lengths you'll go to for Kagome's peace of mind," Sadao remarked knowingly.

Shuffling self-consciously, Inuyasha mumbled, "Besides, I have my whole life to thank you for."

Sadao inclined his head, clearly nonplussed.

"For my mom," Inuyasha clarified. "If you hadn't hired her… helped me get into a good high school…"

"Your mother is an extremely smart woman and very good at what she does. I'd have been a fool not to acquire her talents for my firm. As for you, you got into Horikoshi by your own merit. Your exam scores and grades were excellent— otherwise I wouldn't have pushed for the scholarship that funded your tuition."

"Yes, sir."

Regarding him thoughtfully, Sadao surprised Inuyasha when he asked, "Have you ever tried my nikujaga?"

Inuyasha shook his head dumbly, baffled as to why the man he had previously referred to as 'Dickhead' in his youth was asking about whether he had eaten a meat and potato stew.

"Oh Satori loved it. I used to only make it for her… she craved it frequently during her pregnancies. When Kagome was younger, she used to help me in the kitchen when it was Satori's birthday. Had to slap away her tiny fingers, she kept dipping them into the pot to sneak a few tastes."

Inuyasha remained silent for a long moment before his brow furrowed and he asked, "Do you want me to go get you some?"

Sadao shook his head, his face set in a comically aghast expression. "I'm telling you Inuyasha, no one else's nikujaga even comes close to rivaling mine."

"Do you need me to go to the grocery then?" Inuyasha offered through slightly grit teeth. Inuyasha's temper was held at bay by miraculous effort and his patience was quickly running thin at the man's vagueness.

"Oh no, we have everything we need. It's a simple thing to make, really. The thing is, I still find myself a little jittery and not quite in control over my coordination. If I could tell you what to do, would you be alright with making dinner?"

Gold eyes blinked at Sadao in disbelief. Inuyasha waited, focusing on the silence except for the sound of his heartbeat. "Uh… I… no. Um… I don't mind."

"I'm very happy you'll finally be able to try it, Inuyasha."

As Inuyasha rose to gather the ingredients Sadao listed aloud, his mind managed to muddle through the surface confusion and come to a realization that Sadao was finally doing something that Inuyasha had yearned for since he had ever met the man. In the simple act of sharing something as trivial as a recipe and a meal with him— a recipe that Sadao himself admitted was usually reserved for his beloved wife and children— Sadao was showing Inuyasha his gratitude in ways that a simple 'thank you' couldn't do. This was for treating Kagome well, being her only source of light in the bleakness of Satori's death, protecting her and her family even now when she no longer belonged to him. After so many years, Sadao recognized that Inuyasha loved Kagome.

He accepted it.


	20. Chapter 20

_Last Time…_

_"Oh no, we have everything we need. It's a simple thing to make, really. The thing is, I still find myself a little jittery and not quite in control over my coordination. If I could tell you what to do, would you be alright with making dinner?"_

_Gold eyes blinked at Sadao in disbelief. Inuyasha waited, focusing on the silence except for the sound of his heartbeat. "Uh… I… no. Um… I don't mind."_

_"I'm very happy you'll finally be able to try it, Inuyasha."_

_As Inuyasha rose to gather the ingredients Sadao listed aloud, his mind managed to muddle through the surface confusion and come to a realization that Sadao was finally doing something that Inuyasha had yearned for since he had ever met the man. In the simple act of sharing something as trivial as a recipe and a meal with him— a recipe that Sadao himself admitted was usually reserved for his beloved wife and children— Sadao was showing Inuyasha his gratitude in ways that a simple 'thank you' couldn't do. This was for treating Kagome well, being her only source of light in the bleakness of Satori's death, protecting her and her family even now when she no longer belonged to him. After so many years, Sadao recognized that Inuyasha loved Kagome._

_He accepted it._

* * *

Inuyasha watched warily from his car as Sadao slowly made his way from the parking lot into the entrance of the tall skyscraper. The clear windows glinted in the early morning light and there was already a bustle of office workers in the lobby beyond the glass doors. Sadao Higurashi never managed to disappear from Inuyasha's sight, even in the mix of the crowd. Once Inuyasha saw the older man greet the security guards posted at the barrier where employees were expected to scan their ID cards for entry, he finally pulled away.

It was a surprisingly easy weekend. Sadao's transition back into his home went much smoother than Inuyasha had expected. Unlike the comfortable distance Inuyasha and Kagome's grandfather had shared, Sadao was open to interacting directly with Inuyasha outside of meals and needing aid with chores that required a younger, more able body to accomplish. Sometimes, he even sought out the hanyou to talk about idle things such as sports, music, or Inuyasha's time in America.

Izayoi had taken it upon herself to surprise the three men with dinner by Sadao's second night back. She was astounded to see her former employer and her son conversing casually around the coffee table in the sitting room. Not wanting to disturb the mood between the two, though she was sure her son had already noticed her presence, she placed the large dish she brought on the stovetop with a quickly written note and left the shrine with a curious smile.

As Inuyasha pulled into the station, he noted that Kouga's car was already parked in its usual spot and he inwardly groaned. No doubt, his partner would have a smug expression on his face the whole day from his weekend with Kagome. Before he could help it, a surly frown found its way onto his face and Inuyasha reluctantly trudged into the precinct, furtively glancing for the wolf youkai as he settled down at his desk. He let out a small sigh when he saw that Kouga's seat was empty— he was probably out quickly getting coffee or breakfast.

The mood was still bleak in the building, everyone still reeling from the death of the officer who had died from the nightclub incident. Everyone continued to work diligently, but there was a distinct lack of the usual frivolity between partners and teammates. A natural reaction in respect of their fallen comrade. The portrait of him in uniform hung on the far wall in remembrance, the newest addition to other men and women who had lost their lives in the line of duty. Inuyasha stared at the man's face until he was brought out of his reverie by the clerk who appeared in front of his desk.

"Inspector Takado," he said quietly, holding a thin manila envelope.

Inuyasha nodded at him in thanks and dismissal before taking it. Raising a claw to tear open the envelope, Inuyasha tensed and raised his eyes, the nagging feeling of being watched gnawing at him. He turned and saw another man glaring at him.

Returning the glare with equal venom, Inuyasha demanded, "You got something to say, Miyazawa?"

The older man sniffed haughtily and looked down the line of his nose at Inuyasha as he stood at his own desk several feet away. "Not much, Takado. Surprised you came in today," he hissed.

"Why wouldn't I come to work?" Inuyasha asked in a low, goading voice.

"After Ito's death, I thought you might have been scared to show your face here again."

Inuyasha rose onto his feet and narrowed his eyes at Inspector Miyazawa. In a dangerously even voice he asked slowly, "Like I said before, why wouldn't I come to work?"

Miyazawa's face turned puce in anger and the man visibly shook as his hands formed fists at his sides. He lifted a trembling hand to point accusingly at Inuyasha as his face twisted. He snarled, "It's your fucking kind that cost me my partner! The whole fucking world would be better off without you bastards! You're freaks of nature— _abominations_! How are we supposed to know it wasn't one of your kin that killed him? All of you are related somehow, aren't you? Trying to prove you're good enough because you're a half-breed? Become a cop killer?"

" _That's enough!_ "

Everyone turned from the three men and looked at Kouga standing at the entrance, coffee dripping from his fingers as his claws punctured the cup. The bullpen was silent. His blue eyes flashed with vehemence as he glared at Miyazawa. He stalked forward purposefully, coming nose-to-nose with him.

"You were there. Don't you _dare_ forget the truth of that night. We're all hurting, you motherfucker, and you're not fit to come back." Kouga's eyes roved over Miyazawa's face. "Take some personal time off and go see a grief counselor like you were recommended to do after Ito's service. But don't even _think_ about coming after _my_ partner and accusing him of shit he's not guilty of and just because of his heritage. Or else you'll be dealing with more than an inquisition by the internal judiciary," he growled.

Inuyasha watched the confrontation unfold, at a complete loss for how to respond to Kouga's defense of him. Kouga still kept his eyes trained on Miyazawa, unconsciously allowing his youki to escape, a sense of power emanating and shrouding him in its aura.

"Are we clear?" Kouga asked with no room for left for argument.

* * *

 _Inuyasha snickered and leaned against the large video game console as Miroku slammed his palms against the control board, his character dying among a chorus of electronic_ womp womp womps _. The scene was familiar in the arcade as several teenage boys from all over Tokyo converged to relax after a day of classes._

" _Give up, Miroku. You're never going to beat my high score."_

_Miroku smiled good-naturedly and crouched down to feed more coins into the machine. "Just you wait, Inuyasha. You haven't seen anything yet."_

_With a roll of his eyes, Inuyasha pushed off of the machine. "You're right. I_ haven't _seen anything yet." He stared out into the clusters of people in the arcade. "Where the hell is that damn wolf? It shouldn't take that long to get a couple of fucking sodas."_

" _Psh, knowing Kouga, he probably found a pretty girl and got distracted. Probably handed her and her pretty friends our drinks…" Miroku's brow furrowed. "They're fawning over how chivalrous he is… twirling their long dark hair around their fingers while smiling at him and batting their eyelashes…"_

 _The video game began blinking and released another round of_ womp womp womps _as Miroku lost. He stood straight and began searching the crowds, his violet eyes lit with a sense of urgency._

" _Maybe we should go find him…" he suggested._

" _Keep it in your pants, Miroku," Inuyasha scoffed. He reached for the back of Miroku's uniform to pull him back when his friend started to dart away. "I can smell him, he's coming back."_

" _Well, well, well. Never thought I'd see your ugly face again."_

_Inuyasha's ears twitched in agitation and he twisted his face into a grimace. Turning around, Inuyasha glared at the young man in front of him. Around the same height, sandy brown hair that obviously came from a bottle, and a piercing in his eyebrow. Inuyasha crossed his arms and kept his stance as he stared him down._

" _What do you want, Ryo?"_

_Ryo jerked his thumb at his handful of lackeys standing with him, watching the exchange with smirks. "What? Don't you miss us, Inu no baka? Just because you go to a rich, fancy high school now, we can't hang out in the same arcade? Don't get so full of yourself. Your mom might have spread her legs to get to where she is today but no amount of whoring can change the fact you're a bastard freak of nature."_

_Inuyasha made to lunge forward but Miroku held fast to his upper arm and Inuyasha balked to shrug him off._

" _Hey!"_

_They all turned to see Kouga striding towards them, his features fixed into a scowl. "What's going on?"_

_Sneering, Ryo raised his pierced eyebrow at Inuyasha. "What? Need your youkai boyfriend to defend you?"_

" _Quit being a fucking dick, Ryo," Inuyasha snarled._

" _You know, Ayame's looking pretty hot now. Since you're not around, I figure maybe it's time I teach the little bitch what it's like to be with a real man."_

_Inuyasha's arm shot out and he wrapped his hand around Ryo's throat in a blur, pressing him against the wall with his teeth bared. He heard several grunts and muted thuds. With a quick glance over his shoulder, he saw Kouga and Miroku scoffing and staring distastefully at the two lackeys that had tried to make a move and ended up sprawled on the floor, curling into their stomachs while groaning._

" _Stay away from her," Inuyasha growled. He pressed his claws into Ryo's skin to punctuate his warning. "You say another word against her or my mother again, and I'll rip your fucking tongue out. You understand me?"_

_Miroku glared at Ryo from over Inuyasha's shoulder, making eye contact with the frightened bully. "I suggest you do what he says and never come here again."_

" _Are we clear?" Kouga added, purposefully flashing his fangs as he spoke._

_Ryo nodded quickly, grasping at his neck before scrambling to his feet after Inuyasha released him, hurrying out of the arcade, tossing a frenzied look over his shoulder to make sure the three of them weren't chasing him._

" _Fucking idiot," Inuyasha spat. "Better leave my friends alone."_

"H _e messes with any of them, just call us. We have your back," Kouga assured him._

_Inuyasha nodded grimly and glared at the boys still lying on the ground. "Make sure Ryo gets that message."_

" _C'mon, Inuyasha. Let's meet up with the girls at the café."_

_Miroku's lips twitched upwards into an easy smile. "Yeah, I'm sure you'd rather meet up with Kagome than hang around with these idiots."_

_The hanyou lingered behind them, so Miroku turned back and raised his eyebrows in silent question. Inuyasha frowned before saying quietly, "Thanks, guys."_

_Kouga rolled his eyes. "We're friends. We look out for each other. Someone goes after one of us, they go after the whole pack. Now quit being such a girl about it and let's get out of here."_

_Inuyasha stomped past him but not without punching him in the arm. Miroku shook his head and watched warily as his two superpowered friends chased each other through the streets of Tokyo._

* * *

Kouga turned on his heel and made his way to his desk but not before putting the unpunctured coffee cup on Inuyasha's desk, tossing the other one in the trash bin, shaking his wet hand in annoyance. Instantly, the bullpen began to buzz familiarly with the hum of multiple conversations.

"Take it," Inuyasha said brusquely.

"Inuyasha—"

"Take the damn coffee, Kouga. Besides, you always put too much sugar." Inuyasha sighed in exasperation when Kouga grabbed the coffee and instead of returning to his desk, sat on the edge of Inuyasha's.

"So what's in the envelope?" Kouga raised his eyebrows at the forgotten manila envelope.

"Dunno… clerk handed it to me as soon as I got in. Didn't get a chance to take a look, did I?" Inuyasha glared at the innocuous object in his hands before raising a claw once more to tear it open.

"Those guys still haven't talked yet?"

Inuyasha shook his head, aware that Kouga was referring to the inuyoukai that they managed to apprehend during the attack. "Bastards are either scared or brainwashed." He snorted as he began reading the reports. "Or both. They'd rather stay locked up than rat out their leader."

Kouga narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "How the hell did he get them to be so loyal?"

"The fucking question to every successful crime lord's network," Inuyasha murmured absentmindedly as his eyes roved the reports inside. His eyes widened to golden saucers. " _Fuck_."

He lifted his eyes and searched for the clerk that handed him the report, tossing the papers onto his desk as he hurried after him. Kouga watched with confusion as Inuyasha bolted out of the bullpen and grabbed the mess of papers, scanning their contents.

"Inuyasha, where are you going?" he hollered as he read.

"The lab!"

Kouga froze after flipping to one of the pages. "Oh, _shit_."

* * *

Kagome smiled at her father over her cup of tea, relaxing as she inhaled the fragrance of the jasmine tea. She placed the teacup back down onto the table before nodding at her father's untouched plate. Now that he had reacclimated himself at work and moved back to the shrine, he reached out to her to resume their weekly lunch that they had during their break at work.

"What's wrong, Dad?" She eagerly put a generous heaping of her meal into her mouth. Kagome hurried to chew and swallowed the large bite with a satisfied smile. "If you don't like your dish, we can share mine. It's really good."

Sadao offered Kagome a fond smile and chuckled before taking another sip of his tea. "I take it you didn't eat before lunch."

Kagome shook her head, her thick, midnight-colored tresses tossing around from the movement. "I wanted to make some headway since I missed work last week." Raising her eyes to meet her father's, she smiled sheepishly. "I know it was just one day… but I was already so swamped before…"

"I understand, Kagome." Sadao finally began to eat his meal and Kagome grinned, pleased to see her father eat with some sort of gusto.

"It's not as good as yours I bet," Kagome commented, staring at the meat and potato stew that was her father's specialty.

Sadao tilted his head democratically. "It's not bad," he hedged.

"But not as good as yours," Kagome said knowingly, a perceptive light twinkling in her honey colored eyes.

"Well I'm not usually one to boast about my own cooking. Your mother was the one with talent in the kitchen. But I have to admit I've had better."

Kagome laughed, a light tinkling sound that immediately brought Sadao back to the days of her childhood and his expression softened.

"I'm sure."

He eyed her and mentioned offhandedly, "Inuyasha's nikujaga isn't half bad. If he acquaints himself with the recipe more, I think he might end up making it better than I do."

Snorting, Kagome rolled her eyes and took another bite of her lunch. "Inuyasha doesn't cook, Dad. You must be thinking of someone else. Or Izayoi dropped it off and Inuyasha let you think he made it. I don't know if I've ever seen him make anything other than a bowl of those damn instant noodles."

Sadao pursed his lips. "You underestimate him, Kagome. Besides, it was my recipe he used."

Kagome froze and lowered her chopsticks to stare at her father in awe.

"What?" he demanded impatiently, shifting under her unwavering gaze.

"You shared your recipe with Inuyasha?" Kagome asked quietly.

"Didn't I just say so? He's not terrible. After all, he survived five years in America on his own. Inuyasha couldn't live off of ninja food forever." Sadao shuddered. "Especially in America. The things he told me about their food. Such large portions and so greasy."

Kagome continued to stare at her father while he continued his lunch, paying no mind to the tension she held in her body.

"The two of you… talked about his time in America?"

Sadao nodded, taking another sip of his tea. "It's quite interesting… I've never gone and I daresay with my age and condition, I don't think I'll ever get the chance to travel to the States." He paused and considered his words. "It's very impressive what he did on his own, but I'm sure he's already told you."

Glaring down at her lap, Kagome shook her head. "No," she said shortly, "he hasn't."

"The two of you are busy. You both like to keep mentioning that. Once things settle, it'll come up in conversation." Arching an eyebrow at her, Sadao sighed. "Kagome?"

"What's happened since you moved back in?"

Bristling at her tone, Sadao said firmly, "Inuyasha is a guest at the shrine and he's doing your grandfather and I a large service by staying there with us. I hope you don't think so lowly of me not to be courteous and talk to him."

"Dad, you hated him," Kagome said plainly.

"That was a long time ago, Kagome."

"But—"

"Besides, he saved my life. I owe him my life." Sadao's eyes locked with Kagome's. "I know the two of you thought I didn't like him when you dated… maybe I didn't, but that's every father's prerogative. We're not _supposed_ to like the boys that take away our little girls."

Kagome let out a weak chuckle and joked lamely, "Figures. You like Inuyasha _after_ we break up."

Sadao returned a tight smile. "Objectively, I knew he was a good young man. After all, his mother is an astounding woman and raised him well considering her circumstances. And he earned his scholarship to Horikoshi on his own. And for Tokyo University as well. He was also an excellent math tutor for you."

Making a face, Kagome waved a hand in the air dismissively. "Let's just forget that, okay? It was a long time ago."

"And he took care of you. Treated you like his whole world. I might have been distracted, but I wasn't blind, Kagome."

A familiar heat rushed to Kagome's cheeks and she knew if she caught her reflection, her face would be bright red. "Like I said, it was a long time ago."

Sensing her discomfort, Sadao asked, "How was the trip Kouga planned?"

A soft smile curled Kagome's lips. "It was fantastic, Dad! Nikko National Park is _beautiful_. Since the seasons are starting to change, the trees are turning the most gorgeous colors. There are waterfalls, lakes, _hot springs_." Kagome began to speak faster as her excitement grew. "The _hot springs_." Sadao laughed lightly. "And we got to visit Toshogu— oh, Dad, what an amazing shrine. And Tokugawa Ieyasu-san's mausoleum."

Sadao offered a satisfied smile. "Kouga did well in surprising you for your anniversary."

"It was more than I could have imagined," Kagome gushed in agreement.

"I'm glad to see that you're happy."

The smile gradually faded from Kagome's face and she frowned in puzzlement. "Why? You didn't think I was before?"

"Kagome, I said no such thing," Sadao huffed impatiently.

Kagome recoiled at the clear reprimand in his tone. Sadao sighed and reached across the table to pat her hand reassuringly.

"Why are you so defensive?"

Shifting uneasily, Kagome mumbled, "I didn't realize I _was_. It's nothing."

"Are you sure?"

She offered him a bright, if not slightly strained smile. "Yeah."

"Well as I was saying, I'm glad to see that you're happy," Sadao repeated. "It's so important to live for what makes you happy, not what makes you _content_. I would never want you to settle."

Kagome knit her eyebrows together. "Settle…"

Sadao blinked at her. "Well of course. You're my daughter. I want to make sure that you live the happiest, best life you could possibly have. You love your husband and it's obvious he loves and adores you."

His voice died away and he stared at her.

Kagome stared back at him. "What aren't you telling me, Dad?"

"Nothing." Sadao leaned towards her. "You're young, beautiful, and hardworking. Just remember, Kagome, don't go through your life just acting through the motions. Make the most of it. Have experiences. Don't settle. It's taken me nearly sixty years and a near death experience to realize that I should have made the most of my time with my family. I shouldn't have taken you all for granted and focused on work. And I settled for retreating to work rather than a deeper relationship with you and Souta because I was scared. After what happened to your older brother…"

He squeezed her hand tightly. "Don't _ever_ let fear stop you from going after your happiness."

Nodding, Kagome pressed her lips together. "Okay, Dad. I promise."

She glanced down at her wrist to check the time and immediately tried to get a waiter's attention. "Is it already almost three? I told Kouga I would stop by and drop off some food for him. He called earlier and said he'd be working late again. You don't mind if we make a stop before I drop you off back at the office?"

"Of course not," Sadao replied calmly.

The two of them left the restaurant in good spirits, a big carry out bag in Kagome's hand while they laughed on the way to the parking garage where Kagome's car was. Neither was aware of the pair of eyes trailing after their forms.

Kagome settled into the driver's seat and drove the familiar route through Tokyo to the police headquarters. She pushed a button on the steering wheel and immediately, the car was patching through her phone to call Kouga.

"Kagome?" Kouga's voice was strained over the line.

Frowning, Kagome asked him, "Everything okay?"

Silence came over the line and Kouga answered carefully, "Inuyasha and I are in the middle of figuring something out."

Although his answer didn't satisfy her concern, Kagome dropped the issue. "Hey, Dad and I are dropping by. We have food," she sang.

Kouga chuckled weakly. "Thank kami. I don't think I could stand another night of running to the nearest fast food place that's open twenty-four hours."

"Heaven forbid you start growing a little paunch," Kagome mock gasped, although she ruined her seriousness with small giggles.

"Might happen sooner than I thought."

"Well we'll be there in about five minutes."

"I'll see you guys soon, then. Love you."

"Love you."

When the large building came into view, Kagome slowed and pulled up in front, waving genially at the guards posted at the vehicular checkpoint booths. Recognizing her, they waved back.

"Higurashi-san, you know you're free to park here anytime!" one of them called out.

"I can't stay for long," she called back. "I just wanted to drop off some food for Kouga."

They let out deep, rumbling laughs. "You're too good for him, Higurashi-san," the other guard joked.

"Don't I know it," Kouga interjected as he swept through the sliding glass doors of the building's lobby, crossing through the small plaza in front before leaning down through the open window, kissing Kagome lightly. He smiled and nodded at Sadao in acknowledgement.

"Kouga," Sadao nodded back.

"How was lunch?"

"Very pleasant, although I fear I should've ordered something else. The dish I had was not quite up to my standards."

Kouga chuckled. "Very few things are up to your standards."

"Don't tell me you tried some other place's nikujaga."

Sadao chuckled. "An old man's folly."

Kagome peered around Kouga and saw Inuyasha advance towards the car. "Hi, Inuyasha!"

The tops of Inuyasha's cheekbones took on the slightest hint of pink but he nodded at her. "Kagome." He pursed his lips. "You should've known better than to let him order that."

Kouga made a face. "Watch it, mutt face. Who gave you the right to boss around my woman like that?"

"Keh! Nobody needs to give me the right to do anything. I'll do whatever the hell I want when I want to."

"I'm more than used to it, Kouga," Kagome said, brushing off Inuyasha's gruff tone. "Besides, I'm sure he'll be a lot nicer when he sees what I got him."

Inuyasha's gold eyes slid over to hers. "You got me food?" He tried to mask the eagerness in his tone with an obvious cough.

Kagome laughed. "Honestly, Inuyasha, sometimes you're so easy to read."

Inuyasha huffed and watched her get out of the car and open the back door, grabbing a large paper bag. He could smell the food immediately and his stomach betrayed him by grumbling loudly, spurring the other three adults to laugh while he glowered at them. Kagome reached her arm out for Kouga to take the bag when _pings_ echoed around them and the glass of Kagome's car windows shattered.

Kouga and Inuyasha immediately moved to push Kagome down onto the ground. Kouga curled her into his chest and he trapped her between his body and the car. Kagome tightened into a small ball, her eyes shut and her hands clutching the sides of her head. Inuyasha crouched next to them, his gun drawn and eyes intense, searching. He scanned the surrounding rooftops, seeing the other guards doing the same. The officers inside the lobby came rushing out.

Catching movement on a building rooftop, Inuyasha called out what he saw.

"Suspect on the rooftop— southwest of the building at my eleven!"

All guns were trained on that rooftop and more shots rang out, originating from where Inuyasha pointed out. He shot back but cursed, knowing he couldn't shoot as well with a pistol compared to the long-range rifle the assailant was using. One of the guards managed to hit him and Inuyasha saw him go down. Immediately, he began running towards the building and leaping up.

One of the other officers was a youkai and was able to keep up with him. Inuyasha moved slowly towards the prone body, his gun in front of him. He used the toe of his boot to roll him over and the other officer kicked away the gun. It was an inuyoukai dressed in all black. He grinned up at Inuyasha, his teeth stained with blood.

"What the fuck are you smiling about?" Inuyasha growled.

"Fucking whelp," the youkai rasped. "Disgrace to inuyoukai."

Inuyasha and the officer exchanged a look before it finally hit Inuyasha. He gestured at the inuyoukai and the other officer set out to bind and restrain him. Inuyasha looked over the edge of the building and felt his body go limp from the familiar scent of blood.

Kagome had crawled back into her car, across her seat to pull her father into her lap, his blood staining her and splattered inside the interior of the car. Her wails reverberated in the silence of the plaza.

" _Dad!_ " she screamed. "Kouga, do something! Please! _Daddy, no!_ Please, please, _please_ , _no!_ "

She heaved and began to rock slightly in her seat, her arms wrapped around her father's limp shoulders.


	21. Chapter 21

_Last Time…_

" _What the fuck are you smiling about?" Inuyasha growled._

" _Fucking whelp," the youkai rasped. "Disgrace to inuyoukai."_

_Inuyasha and the other officer set out to bind and restrain him. Inuyasha looked over the edge of the building and felt his body go limp from the familiar scent of blood._

_Kagome had crawled back into her car, across her seat to pull her father into her lap, his blood staining her and splattered inside the interior of the car. Her wails reverberated in the silence of the plaza._

"Dad _!_ " _she screamed. "Kouga, do something! Please!_ Daddy, no _! Please, please,_ please, no _!_ "

_She heaved and began to rock slightly in her seat, her arms wrapped around her father's limp shoulders._

* * *

Kagome lost control of her body as she shook, overwhelmed by a maelstrom of fear, anxiety, rage, and despair. Her father's blood seeped from between her fingers as she pressed down on the bullet wound in his lower abdomen. She then caught sight of the other entry point higher up on his chest. She caught her lower lip between her teeth to try and stifle the whimpers that escaped her. Kagome could feel her heart pound in her ribcage, a heavy rhythmic thud like it was trying to break free from her chest, the tightness too restricting. Hot tears spilled down her cheeks, her vision becoming hazy.

"Daddy? Dad…. Y-y-you're going to be okay— it's gonna… oh kami! I-I-it's going to be okay… Dad! _Dad_!"

His eyelids had closed and she gripped him tightly, gingerly dragging him further onto her lap. Kagome shrugged off her blazer and balled it up before pressing it to his body in order to try and staunch the bleeding. She attempted a feeble smile when her father opened his eyes weakly.

Sadao groaned, trying to breathe through the burning sensation that had ripped through him when the bullet hit. When he was first shot, it was like when he had been beat by an inuyoukai— the force knocked the breath from his lungs. When he awoke from his injuries before, there was a dull ache, a soreness in his body. Now, it was like fire constantly licking at him, spreading through his veins, pain overwhelming him. He was disturbingly aware of the warm liquid spilling from him, staining his daughter's hands.

"Kago…me…" he tried to speak.

"No, Dad, conserve your strength. It's okay. It's going to be okay," Kagome repeated. She continued to murmur it under her breath like a mantra. Her eyes darted downwards from his face to his wounds. "Kouga!" she cried out, grief warping her voice.

His son-in-law's face swam into view, and Sadao couldn't help but groan again, his head throbbing and his vision doubling. Kouga gently gestured for Kagome to move away but she stubbornly shook her head.

"Kagome, I have to get him out of this car. We can't treat him in here. You've got to move so I can carry him," he said firmly.

Kagome shakily nodded and gently lowered Sadao's upper body onto the seat. Kouga was quick to take over and move his hands to where Kagome's were, continuing to apply pressure to the blazer acting as a gauze. His face was set in a grim frown.

"Sadao?"

The elder man grunted softly in reply.

"Can you move? Wiggle your fingers and toes," Kouga instructed stoically.

Sadao didn't move at first and Kouga's frown deepened. Kagome gasped from behind him to try and hold in a sob, pressing the back of her wrist to her mouth to try and muffle the sound.

"Sadao? Sir, please, I need to know the extent of your injuries."

With a pained moan, Sadao lifted an arm slightly and his legs twitched in a jerky motion.

Kouga offered a tight smile. "That's good," he reassured his father-in-law. "I'm going to move you now, okay? We need to get you out of here and into an ambulance."

Sadao grit his teeth and nodded, the initial shock of the gunshots was slowly fading and he registered the numb feeling spreading through his body. He met Kouga's eyes with wide eyes.

Recognizing the panic, Kouga spoke in soothing tones. "You're going into shock, that's all. You're body's going through a lot of stress. Stay calm." Kouga maneuvered awkwardly to crawl further into the car and took Sadao into his arms as gently as possible, slowly backing up to lay him onto the ground, blood smearing across his forearms as he did so.

"Kagome, is there something in the car we can use to keep him warm? He's going into shock."

Kagome nodded frantically and grabbed the emergency blankets she kept in the trunk. She wrapped it around her father and her skin paled when she saw how he had bled through her blazer.

"Kouga…" she whispered, staring at the blood.

"Go wait over by the others."

Kagome's head snapped up and she glared at Kouga. "No," she said firmly.

"Kagome—"

"I said _'No'_ ," she grit out.

"Kagome," Sadao groaned.

Falling to her knees, Kagome crept towards his head, reaching out to squeeze one of his hands. She brushed away the graying hair from his forehead. Managing another weak smile, Kagome fought not to stare at the stain of his lifeblood on her hands or feel its sticky warmth as he bled onto her lap. She used the blanket to apply pressure from both his chest and back.

"It's okay, Dad. The ambulance is almost here and everything will be fine. You'll get through this."

"Kagome," Sadao said more insistently.

"You're going to get better again. We'll help you. Don't worry."

When Sadao took his next breath, it sounded like gurgles and he coughed violently, his entire body lurching slightly. He cried out in pain from how it tore at his wounds. Kouga cursed as he felt more blood seep through Kagome's blazer and into his hands. He tore off his own dress shirt and pressed it on top of the ruined clothing.

"Fuck… we need to stop the bleeding… Might've nicked an artery."

Kagome turned from her father to stare wide-eyed at Kouga.

" _Kagome_ ," Sadao said once more.

"I'm here, Dad," she assured him, her voice soft. "I'm right here. I'm not— I'm _not_ leaving you."

Sadao coughed again and Kagome held onto his shoulders as he heaved. When he settled again, blood trickled from his mouth and stained his teeth. He smiled placidly at Kagome. She felt herself crumple and shook her head at him.

"No," she weeped.

"Kagome, I love you very much," he rasped. His other hand blindly reached to cover her hand so that he cradled her palm between his. "I don't want your tears to be the last thing I see."

"Stop," she cried. "It's not going to be like that. Just wait— hold on for a little bit longer. Help is on the way!"

"I am an old man and I am tired," he murmured. He wheezed and grunted against a flare of pain.

"Daddy, please."

"I love you and Souta so much. You two are my greatest achievements. I'm so sorry—"

"There's nothing to apologize for!"

"Listen to me! I want you to be happy. I want you to live a good, long life. Don't be like me, Kagome. Don't make my mistakes. Don't forget about your heart."

Kagome shook her head. " _Please_ ," she begged.

Sadao's eyes slid away but Kagome kept her gaze trained on him. "Take care of her," he ordered sternly, the demand no less powerful even though his voice was weak. "Don't let her down again."

At this, Kagome turned and saw that Sadao was staring in Kouga's direction, but his eyes were fixed at a point behind him. Kouga nodded mutely at Sadao, but the man didn't register the reply, focused on the shaken hanyou standing just over Kouga's shoulder. Inuyasha's lips parted in surprise, his chest tense and his ears flicking backwards slightly.

"Promise me," Sadao growled.

"I promise," Kouga said.

Inuyasha's face morphed into a fierce expression. His lips pressed together into a hard line and his gold eyes took on a strange gleam, intense with determination. He jerked his head in a sharp nod before Sadao relaxed into Kagome's arms again. He lifted his gaze and met Kagome's, her own expression stunned and confused. However, she ignored the exchange to focus on her father.

"Kagome, be happy," he told her once more. "That's all your mother and I ever wanted for you."

Kagome blinked furiously at her tears and tightened her grip of his hand. "Okay," she said, her voice cracking.

Sadao's face relaxed and he leaned back, settling into her hold. He stared at the sky peacefully and sighed. "I missed your mother so much."

A sob escaped Kagome's lips but she sniffed and shut her eyes as she took in a deep breath, tears spilling over. Opening them, she lowered her head to kiss Sadao's forehead tenderly. "Go to Mama. She'll be happy to see you."

Sadao reached up and brushed his fingertips against her cheek, frowning at the red streaks on her pale skin. Kagome shook her head at him and held his hand to her face affectionately. She smiled at him. "I wish you would stay…"

"Can't…"

"I know. Tell Mama I love her, okay?"

"She… a'ready knows."

Sadao's eyelids drifted down, becoming heavier. Kagome closed her own eyes, whispering, "I love you, Daddy."

Her father's grip slackened as he took a final breath.

* * *

Kouga watched solemnly as Kagome stood in front of the new headstone, her head bowed and her hand clasped tightly in Souta's. The siblings were surrounded by bountiful floral arrangements— gifts of condolences from friends and the many people who knew the late Sadao Higurashi from his extensive career. Incense burned slowly before his grave, the thin wisps disappearing from the brisk autumn wind. It ruffled their black hair lightly in a cold, teasing embrace.

"How are they doing?"

Kouga turned and acknowledged Inuyasha with a curt nod as the hanyou stepped to his side. Kouga sighed and shook his head. "Like you'd expect. Kagome threw herself into planning the wake and funeral, preparing everything. Meeting with the executor of his will. Souta took off from school to help her… we have to go back to the shrine tomorrow and pack up his things. Decide what to keep, give away…"

Inuyasha crossed his arms, his face impassive.

"Thanks for coming, Inuyasha. It means a lot to her."

Inuyasha grunted lightly in reply. "Keep an eye on them."

Kouga bristled, visibly upset at the implication of Inuyasha's words. "I know how to take care of my family," he hissed.

"I'm not saying you don't. Calm down." Inuyasha shrugged. "Just reinforcing it."

His face falling, Kouga considered his wife. He had known her since high school. They had been in each other's lives when her mother died. He had gone to the wake and funeral of Satori Higurashi in support of his then-friend. Kouga racked his mind to remember how she coped. Flashes came to the forefront of his memory— Kagome crying silently during the wake as numerous people spoke about Satori, half turned into Inuyasha's chest, Kagome holding a weeping Souta while her father stood at her other side, Inuyasha standing behind her in solidarity, Kagome sobbing as she knelt in the mud, her fingers digging into the fresh earth while Inuyasha sat in the mud with her, his face buried in her hair and arms curled protectively around her to lend her his strength while the rain bore down on them. The next few weeks were spent with her trying to find some semblance of normal, attempting to move on and interacting with her friends and schoolmates as if nothing happened, but always with Inuyasha at her side, gripping her hand, an arm around her shoulders, his arm brushing against hers. She had simply sought the knowledge of knowing he was there.

"Kouga," Inuyasha repeated.

Kouga blinked and stared at him in bewilderment.

"I asked where her grandfather is."

Clearing his throat, Kouga answered tersely, "Didn't want to come. Kagome didn't want to push him. Sango and Miroku left right after the rites to go back to the shrine and look after him."

Bowing his head knowingly, Inuyasha muttered, "Been to too many funerals in his lifetime."

A soft female voice coughed delicately behind them and caught their attention. Ayame stood there with an envelope in her hand— koden. She smiled weakly.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to intrude. I just found out and I, uh… I had a shift and just got out so I thought… um… I'm sorry I missed the funeral rites."

Kouga offered an understanding smile. "No worries," he said quietly.

Ayame's green eyes widened and she stepped forward, reaching an arm out. Inuyasha and Kouga watched Kagome step towards the female youkai and accept the koden with a gracious smile. Surprising Ayame, Kagome's arms encircled her in a brief but heartfelt hug.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"I'm _so_ sorry, Kagome."

Kagome shook her head. "You have no reason to be sorry, Ayame. You must be exhausted coming straight from work. Go get some rest." She nodded at her reassuringly. "Thank you, really." She gestured at the envelope. "This means a lot."

Ayame frowned in sympathy. "Please let me know if you need anything."

At Kagome's answering smile, Ayame nodded at Kouga and paused as she stared at Inuyasha. His jaw muscles ticked and he sighed.

"I'll give you a ride."

The tips of Ayame's pointed ears turned pink and she shook her head in refusal. "No, really, it's okay."

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha turned. "Suit yourself."

Ayame pouted and huffed, "Rude."

"What? You said you didn't want one."

"I was being polite. You're supposed to insist."

"Well damn, okay, I'm _insisting_ ," he jeered.

"Idiot," she grumbled before following him to his car.

Kagome watched them walk away, a vacant expression on her face. Kouga stepped closer to her and settled his arm around her waist. Before he could pull her into his side, Kagome flinched and pulled away, walking towards the direction of their car.

"We need to go to the shrine," she said bleakly.

Kouga frowned. "I thought we were going to do that tomorrow."

"I changed my mind. Am I not allowed to?" Kagome snapped.

Kouga stared at her, hurt evident in his blue eyes. Souta's lips curved into a deep frown and he took her shoulder.

"Sis…"

Kagome closed her eyes, her eyelids quivering as she took a deep calming breath. "I'm sorry, Kouga," she said dully.

"Don't. Don't apologize. I know."

"I know what I said before… but I— I just… I'd rather get it out of the way. You can just drop me and Souta off. We'll spend the night at the shrine."

"I don't mind staying with you at the shrine."

Kagome opened her eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Of course. I don't want to leave you alone."

Staring blankly ahead of her, Kagome shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Kouga. You can just drop Souta and I off. I don't want to bother you."

"Kagome, it's no bother," Kouga insisted.

"It's fine, Kouga," Kagome cut in. She sighed and began walking to the car alone.

* * *

"Kagome doesn't look good," Ayame sighed worriedly. She stared out of her window sorrowfully.

"I don't expect anyone who recently lost a parent would," Inuyasha commented, his brow furrowed as he drove.

"I noticed… there were two other headstones…"

"She had an older brother. Died in an accident when she was still little. Her mother died when we were in high school. Cancer."

Ayame closed her eyes. "Kami. I can't imagine. It was hard enough when jii-chan passed away. I can't imagine going through it three times."

"Kagome's strong. She'll get through this." His voice was so sure.

"How did she do it before?"

Inuyasha's grip on the steering wheel tightened. "When her brother died… I guess she had her mother there to help her cope. Her dad…" Inuyasha made a face, not wanting to speak ill of Sadao. "Let's just say he didn't take it well. Her mom was the one who really looked after Kagome and her younger brother."

"Souta."

Inuyasha nodded.

"What about when her mom died?"

Ayame didn't miss how Inuyasha tensed. "I'm sorry. I'm being nosy."

"You are."

Flushing at his chastise, Ayame tried to sink into the seat. Inuyasha mumbled, "I was there when she found out her mom died. It was the middle of the night. I stayed with her the whole time. At the wake, the funeral. After. I never left her side. Wanted to make sure she remembered how to smile."

"And now?"

Inuyasha glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "What _about_ now?"

"I mean, I'm sure Kagome needs someone right now."

"Keh! That's what her husband's for, isn't he?" Inuyasha retorted harshly. Ayame flinched at his tone and Inuyasha grit his teeth. "Sorry," he said gruffly. "It's not your fault."

Ayame stared at him, a miserable expression coloring her face. "Isn't it, though?"

Inuyasha wanted so badly to agree with her. Desperately even. Instead, he continued to scowl at the road ahead of him until he exhaled heavily, his anger deflating at the same time. "No," he said firmly.

"Inuyasha—"

"Shut it, Ayame. We've already made peace with that shit, okay?"

"Okay," she decided, although there was still a stubborn set to her jaw. "But will Kagome be okay?"

"Kouga will look out for her. They love each other."

Ayame sighed again. "I know what that means."

His eyes narrowed. "What the hell are you on about?"

"You know, you can be there for her as a friend, too. It'll be hard, but you'll do it for her."

Inuyasha scoffed. "What makes you say that?"

"You still love her," Ayame said frankly. "Don't even try to deny it, Inuyasha. It's plain to see. Look, you can take my word for it or you can be a stubborn dumbass about it, but I'm telling you, she needs to be able to rely on someone."

"She's got a bunch of people to turn to before she turns to me," he grunted. "Besides, she needs her space. I'm letting her grieve. Giving her time to herself."

With a disbelieving gasp, Ayame shook her head. "After so many years, I don't understand how you can still be such an idiotic baka."

Inuyasha pulled up in front of the apartment complex where Ayame lived. "Idiot is a prerequisite condition to being a baka," he scoffed. Inuyasha hissed when Ayame punched his arm. "What the fuck was that for?"

"I know you're hurting, too, so I'm going to let it go, but call me when you're ready to talk and can admit that you're full of shit!" she huffed before climbing out and slamming the car door, the frame shaking from the impact.

Inuyasha glared at her back and slammed his hands down on the steering wheel in frustration before peeling away, his tires screeching.

* * *

Heads snapped up as Inuyasha stormed back into the bullpen, plopping into his chair with more force than necessary, throwing the heavy files onto his desk, smaller notes and various pens flitting or rolling off of the cluttered surface. He glared at all of the bystanders, who rushed to duck their heads and turn to their work. Inuyasha felt a deep, feral growl build up deep in his chest and quickly cleared his throat in order to curtail the sound, his ears continuing to twitch as a remaining symbol of his agitation.

"Calm down, Takado," one of the other inspectors murmured, the words muffled by the pen cap she chewed on while she typed up her latest report.

Inuyasha shot her a glare from the corner of his eye. "Aw, shove it, Mizuki," he grumbled, but there was no spite in his tone.

"What's got you so worked up?"

"Fucking lab screwed up a DNA test a few weeks ago. I told them to redo it but now they're not getting back to me about it."

Mizuki snorted and her red lips curled into a mischievous smirk. "You probably pissed them off with your horrible bedside manners," she teased.

"She's right, Inuyasha."

Silence settled over the area where Inuyasha and Mizuki's desks were, many looking up to stare as Kouga calmly made his way to his desk, shrugging off his backpack and throwing it underneath as usual before taking his seat and starting up his computer. It was a well-known fact that Kouga had taken his compulsory five days of leave for bereavement. But with Sadao being a large figure in Tokyo's legal circles, the superintendent granted Kouga an extra week to settle everything and as a show of good faith towards the work his late father-in-law accomplished.

Quickest to recover, Inuyasha snapped back, "You'd side with anyone who disagreed with me, you piece of shit."

The surrounding officers and inspectors raised their eyebrows at Inuyasha, scandalous expressions on their faces, save for a few like Mizuki who understood the dynamic and relationship Inuyasha shared with his partner. She laughed quietly under her breath, shaking her head before she went back to finishing up the details as she summarized her last case.

Kouga smirked and nodded at Inuyasha in gratitude. Inuyasha shrugged and continued looking through his notes again, before a scowl fell into place. A shadow fell over his desk but Inuyasha kept his head down.

"Take a damn picture."

"What is this?"

Inuyasha looked up and saw Kouga holding a file, his face torn between confusion and anger. Inuyasha glanced at the file name and his face fell in understanding. He scrubbed at his eyes with his knuckles and yawned tiredly.

"Our new case," Inuyasha said bleakly.

"What the hell are you talking about? What do you mean our new case? We're taking on the inuyoukai that murdered Sadao. It's the same fucking guy that tried to kill us months ago. The same guy that tried to kill Sadao before. _That's our case!_ We were working it for almost a year!" Kouga slammed down the file. "Not _this_ bullshit!"

Inuyasha growled, "Come on!"

He gestured for Kouga to follow him and they rushed out of the bullpen and into an empty interrogation room. Inuyasha shut the door and lowered the blinds of the one-way glass.

"Superintendent said we're too close to the case. Sadao was your father-in-law. It's a conflict of interest—"

"What about you?"

Inuyasha scowled and crossed his arms. " _You're_ my partner, Kouga." He pulled a face. "I'm not exactly the best cop buddy, but I've got your back. We take the cases together. We work them together."

Kouga gaped at Inuyasha but mimicked his stance, turning away and crossing his arms over his chest. "Not so bad for a mutt. Would rather have you than half of those dumbasses."

"Yeah, enough with this sentimental crap. Like I was saying… it's a conflict of interest for you, but I think the results of that DNA test also got leaked. Lab won't get back to me."

Color drained from Kouga's face. "What?" he asked quietly, shock evident in his tone. Kouga made several attempts to speak before he sighed, "Fuck, Inuyasha, I forgot about that. With everything that's happened—"

"I know, okay? I'm not as big of an insensitive jerk as other people I think I am. I didn't want to bother you with this until I was sure. But… no matter how much I try, they won't talk to me."

"Why… w— they'd only do that if they thought— I mean, it's obviously a screw up that some lab intern did but is too fucking scared to own up to."

"I've been looking it up… annoying as shit. I hate forensics." A crease formed on Inuyasha's forehead as his scowl deepened. "Might have been a screw up by a lab technician, but I mean, the youkai and I were brawling. There was a lot of blood getting thrown around. It could have gotten mixed."

"Enough to warrant a partial match to your DNA profile on record?"

Inuyasha tensed, the hair on the back of his neck standing on edge. "That's why I've been doing so much research on it. It's a grey area, but I found enough to at least suggest the possibility that cross-contaminated samples caused the partial match and lend reasonable doubt. It's hard to prove definitively that it's not mine, though. Separating DNA profiles once they're blended is almost impossible."

"You really think the lawyers will go for it?"

Inuyasha's brow furrowed. "They better. Or else I'm going to jail for murder."


	22. Chapter 22

_Last Time…_

" _Why… w— they'd only do that if they thought— I mean, it's obviously a screw up that some lab intern did but is too fucking scared to own up to."_

" _I've been looking it up… annoying as shit. I hate forensics." A crease formed on Inuyasha's forehead as his scowl deepened. "Might have been a screw up by a lab technician, but I mean, the youkai and I were brawling. There was a lot of blood getting thrown around. It could have gotten mixed."_

" _Enough to warrant a partial match to your DNA profile on record?"_

_Inuyasha tensed, the hair on the back of his neck standing on edge. "That's why I've been doing so much research on it. It's a grey area, but I found enough to at least suggest the possibility that cross-contaminated samples caused the partial match and lend reasonable doubt. It's hard to prove definitively that it's not mine, though. Separating DNA profiles once they're blended is almost impossible."_

" _You really think the lawyers will go for it?"_

_Inuyasha's brow furrowed. "They better. Or else I'm going to jail for murder."_

* * *

"You really think this is going to work?" Inuyasha asked gruffly, wrinkling his nose in distaste as the coppery scent of blood entered his nostrils. He exhaled forcefully through his nose to try and expel the scent as he watched the syringe fill with crimson liquid.

Miroku's eyebrows knit together as he concentrated on drawing Inuyasha's blood. He pulled at the rubber tourniquet tied around Inuyasha's bicep as soon as blood began to flow and waited until the tube was filled. With practiced ease, he removed the tube filled with blood, securing it and inverting it slowly several times.

Keeping his focus on the test tube, Miroku instructed, "Open your fist, Inuyasha. Relax your arm." Satisfied, he placed the tube in the chest pocket of his lab coat.

Inuyasha did as he was told and Miroku was quick to apply a small piece of gauze above the puncture site and apply pressure before removing the needle and tossing it into the biohazard bin. Miroku lifted the gauze slightly and snorted when he saw it was pristine, Inuyasha's hanyou abilities already having healed the tiny perforation.

"I don't know, Inuyasha," Miroku said truthfully. "I collect the blood, I don't study it. But based on your own findings, I can't see that it would hurt."

He smiled amiably at Inuyasha. "Unless you _are_ the one who ordered the hit on Sadao."

Inuyasha's fist connected with the side of Miroku's head and the doctor nearly fell off of his stool. He winced while rubbing the sore spot. "Too soon?"

"Way too fucking soon," Inuyasha grumbled, his eyes glowering at his friend's insensitivity.

Miroku offered a contrite and bashful expression and Inuyasha snorted. "How are you going to get your lab to take a look at the sample?"

"Having another inspector do it. They're probably under orders from the higher ups who don't want a scandal… and they'll ignore Kouga just because he's my partner. They have no reason to distrust Mizuki. She'll make up some story about how it got lost in the evidence collection, I don't have a fucking clue. But I just want to clear this mess up as soon as possible."

"And your superiors haven't mentioned _anything_?" Miroku stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Not a goddamn word." A fang appeared as Inuyasha's lip curled in anger. "If I'm under suspicion, I just want to fucking know."

Miroku shook his head. "But by the same logic, if you're a suspect, why would they want to tip you off to any evidence they have? If they're really looking into you, I'm surprised you got your hands on that initial report in the first place. I'm sure it's a huge misunderstanding and they're just trying to cover their own asses."

There was a knock outside of the clinic room before Kouga opened the door, closing it behind him. "Ready? Mizuki's pretty anxious to get this over with." He leveled a stare at Inuyasha. "She's sticking her neck out pretty far for us."

"Keh! Don't flatter yourself. She's doing it for me."

Miroku laughed in surprise. "Is she pretty, Inuyasha? Don't tell me you're sweet on the poor thing."

"Shut the fuck up."

Kouga smirked. "Besides, Mizuki isn't a 'poor thing'. She wouldn't stand for any of Inuyasha's bullshit. Ayame, on the other hand…"

Turning his violet eyes back to the hanyou, Miroku waited expectedly for Inuyasha's response. When Inuyasha was silent, Miroku prodded, sharing a glance with Kouga before darting back to Inuyasha, "Are you seeing Ayame?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, resisting the urge to punch Miroku again. "No. I haven't seen her since the funeral."

Kouga shook his head. "Dog face, you're the biggest idiot I've ever seen."

Making a face, Inuyasha grumbled, "That's exactly what she said."

"And she's still interested in you? Inuyasha, that's a keeper."

"She's not interested in me!"

Chuckling to himself, Miroku tapped the test tube in his pocket. "As entertaining as this is, I have real patients to attend to and I've done all I can for you. I'll hand this to this Mizuki woman. She's waiting outside?"

Kouga nodded and Miroku clapped a hand to Inuyasha's shoulder briefly before leaving the two alone in the room. Inuyasha immediately stood and began to unroll the sleeve of his dress shirt. Kouga frowned and Inuyasha scoffed haughtily.

"Spit it out, already."

"Have you spoken to Kagome recently?"

Inuyasha froze. He recovered quickly enough and continued fussing with his sleeve before gathering his things from the bedside table, shoving his keys, wallet, and phone into his pockets. Inuyasha threw on his worn leather bomber jacket and strode through the door with a purposeful gait, aware of Kouga on his heels.

"No." He cleared his throat roughly. "I haven't spoken to her since before it happened… well… there wasn't really a chance to." Inuyasha briefly turned to look at Kouga. "Why?"

Kouga's fists clenched tightly at his sides before he released them, but the tension and frustration was obvious from the crease between his eyebrows, the thin line of his lips, and the corded muscle visible in his neck.

"She hasn't been talking to me," Kouga grit out. "To _anyone_. She hasn't come home from the shrine at all." Kouga's blue eyes darted over to Inuyasha's quickly in apology. "I've been meaning to bring you your stuff. I know you didn't get a chance to pack up and get your things."

Inuyasha frowned. "Keh! Don't worry about that. I've got a new toothbrush already. Besides, it's not like I brought over a lot of stuff in the first place. Still have plenty of clothes at my apartment. I just didn't want to intrude on anyone by coming back to the shrine."

"I'm worried about her." Kouga's voice lowered. "It's been weeks already. I'm not expecting her to get over her father's death immediately or to stop grieving, but she's not… doing _anything_. It's like she's on autopilot. Goes to work on time, leaves on time, goes to the shrine, and that's it. My wife's gone and I don't know how to get her back."

"You gotta give her time."

"I'm _trying_ ," Kouga growled. "But I can't help her unless she stops shutting me out."

* * *

" _Kagome?"_

_Kouga stood in silence in the foyer of his home, frowning at the stale air within. He kicked the front door close and sighed before moving throughout the rooms, a small glimmer of hope in his heart, although his nose and mind told him otherwise._

" _Kagome?" he called out again. By the time he had peered into the last, vacant room of the house, Kouga's spirit was completely deflated._

_He threw himself onto their bed and rolled his neck to try and alleviate the stiffness that came after keeping his head down while poring over paperwork at the station. He curled onto his side, facing where Kagome usually slept. His fingertips brushed the cool silk of her pillow. The fabric's lingering traces of her scent also began to fade. Kouga glanced at the duffle bag at the foot of the bed where he had packed a change of clothes every night to bring to Kagome after he came home. Every night, he was sorely disappointed when Kagome took the bag instead of his offer to come back home with him._

_Kouga offered to stay at the shrine with her, but Kagome insisted on him staying at their house, stating that she didn't want to inconvenience him. Kouga felt as though he wasn't welcomed into the grief that she was sharing in with her grandfather and brother._

_With another sigh, Kouga snatched the duffle bag and trudged into their closet, pulling a set of clothes for Kagome to wear to work the next day. She had told him the night before that she had enough pajamas at the shrine from high school. Her father hadn't gotten rid of her belongings even after she moved out._

_That conversation brought another strange wave of apathy from Kagome and Kouga left in frustration before he said something he'd regret. He hadn't spoken to her since. It was usually routine for him to call her in the morning and ask if she wanted a ride to work, even though she always declined, saying she didn't want to bother him and she had her car at the shrine anyway. But he couldn't bring himself to face the disappointment again._

_Packing her bag, Kouga stepped into their en suite bathroom and leaned over their sink, his claws nearly gouging into the counter from how tight he gripped it, his eyes transfixed by the water flowing steadily into the drain. He splashed the cold water onto his face several times before turning off the water and staring at his reflection in the mirror._

_He really wanted to be able to understand. To help Kagome. But he had no idea. His own parents had died when he was young— too young to remember them. And then his elderly grandmother raised him until her own passing a few years ago. Kouga loved the old woman dearly and mourned her, but she was centuries old and she slipped away peacefully in the night. For Kagome, death always visited suddenly and viciously._

_By the time he pulled up to Higurashi Shrine and bounded up the steps, Kouga made a straight beeline for the Higurashi house behind the shrine but paused as the wind shifted, causing him to veer towards the large tree where his wife stood._

_Kagome was staring up at the thick branches of Goshinboku, her palm resting on the aged bark, just below the string of charms tied around the vast trunk. She was so still, Kagome could have passed for a statue of a priestess for the tourists and shrine worshippers to marvel at when they visited. She was dressed in similar robes to her grandfather's— that of a Shinto miko. Kouga assumed she was helping her grandfather in maintaining the shrine and shop._

" _Kagome?"_

_At her silence, Kouga stepped behind her and gently took her shoulders in his hands. Kagome turned over her shoulder and blinked at him in confusion. Kouga frowned in return._

" _I've got your stuff."_

_He held out the duffle bag and Kagome turned her sad eyes onto it with the same blank look on her face before smiling weakly at him. Her smile was fake, Kouga knew._

" _Thanks, Kouga," she murmured, before taking it and dropping it at her feet, turning back to stare at Goshinboku._

_Venturing another step closer to her, Kouga carefully slid his hand so that his arm curled around her waist. He frowned when Kagome stepped away._

" _I'm sorry," he said automatically._

_Kagome shook her head. "It's fine. I'm sorry."_

_Running a hand through his dark bangs, Kouga huffed and asked as gently as he could, "Kagome, when are you coming home?"_

" _Home?" she echoed. "I… I don't know."_

" _You don't know?"_

_Kagome flinched at the edge to his tone and she glanced at him. Kouga stared, baffled at this skittish version of her._

" _Kagome, I think it's time."_

_Her face fell into a frown. "I'm not ready yet."_

" _I miss you."_

" _We see each other every day. I… I don't understand," Kagome's voice was meek._

_Kouga scoffed. "Kagome, I see you for a couple of hours every evening. Your scent is disappearing from our home, our bed. I understand that you're grieving, that you're in pain, but you can't—"_

" _Can't what?" Kagome demanded._

" _Can't shut down!" Kouga paced away from her before turning and throwing his arms out. "I don't know who the hell you are anymore!'_

 _Fresh tears swam into Kagome's vision. "I just lost my dad, Kouga! I held him in my arms when he died. Felt his blood on my fingertips. And you expect me to_ just get over it _?!"_

 _Kagome laughed bitterly. "I'm sorry I'm not the perfect woman you thought I was, but I can't just_ go back _! I have no one left!" she yelled._

" _You have me!" Kouga roared. "Why won't you let me help you?"_

_As quickly as it seemed the fire had come back into Kagome, it left her. She watched Kouga with wide, impassive eyes before picking up the bag at her feet. "Let's just go have dinner. Souta's probably finished by now."_

" _Kagome—"_

_She surprised him and silenced him with a kiss. Kouga didn't have time to react before she pulled away and set off to walk to the house, as if nothing happened. He knew better. It was a kiss meant to appease him, nothing more. His stomach lurched from the implications of the empty gesture._

"Kagome _."_

" _What, Kouga?"_

" _Do you blame me?"_

_Kagome cocked her head at him, her brows knit together in puzzlement. "What are you talking about?" she asked warily._

" _Are you punishing me? Is it because I couldn't protect your father? Because he died on my watch? Because I should've done more?"_

" _You think I'm_ punishing _you?"_

" _Why are you doing this?"_

 _Kagome threw the bag onto the ground. "Why is this about you? Kouga, I'm_ grieving _! It has_ nothing _to do with you!"_

_Kouga's eyes became steely. "You didn't answer my question."_

_Kagome's eyes connected with his, her mouth slightly agape, moving and forming silent words. She tore her gaze away and glared at the ground. "I don't blame you. It's not your fault. I know you did your best. My father was old and weakened from before and that youkai was a good shot and it took too long for help to come." She lifted her eyes again. "Do you think that lowly of me to think I'd be angry with you for that?" A tear cascaded down her cheek, catching the light of the setting sun._

" _So what_ are _you angry at me for?"_

" _I'm not angry," Kagome insisted._

" _But—"_

" _I think you should go home, Kouga. I'll call you tomorrow. Don't bother bringing another bag. I have enough clothes to last me through the weekend."_

_Kouga sighed and immediately turned apologetic. "I'm sorry, Kagome— Kagome!"_

_She walked away from him, slightly leaning to one side to counteract the weight of the duffle bag slung over her shoulder, her arms hugging herself._

" _I need space, Kouga," she whispered, aware that he could pick up on her voice with his hearing._

* * *

"You think maybe she doesn't want your help?" Inuyasha snapped.

Kouga stopped suddenly, prompting Inuyasha to stop as well and look back at him. The wolf youkai's expression was vulnerable, the look in his sad blue eyes desperate. He had his arms slightly outstretched, his palms facing up.

"I have," he whispered. A fresh wave of pain cut through Kouga. "I've considered that possibility thousands— millions— of times."

"So what is it that you want from me?" Inuyasha demanded callously.

Taking a deep breath, Kouga told him, "A long time ago… you said to me… you said that I shouldn't put Kagome on a pedestal. That she's not perfect. I need to remember she's human. Okay, well it finally fucking hit me!"

Closing his eyes and taking a shaky breath, he continued, "It finally happened— Kagome's changed and I don't know if I can get back the Kagome I fell in love with. She's crashing but she won't let me catch her. I'm scared, Inuyasha. She's going to a place where I don't know how to find her. I told you— I _promised her father_ — I would take care of her. That I wouldn't let her down. But that's all I'm doing."

Inuyasha's eyes were hard, careful as he considered his partner. Regarding him warily, Inuyasha asked again, "What do you want me to do about it?"

Kouga opened his eyes and blue met gold, the pain in the former glaringly obvious. "Get her back," Kouga croaked.

"No."

The crestfallen expression morphed into anger and Kouga's face colored red. "What?"

"I'm not involving myself in something that doesn't concern me," Inuyasha said firmly. "This is a family matter and none of my business."

"Fuck you, Inuyasha!"

The crowd of people waiting and milling around in the hospital lobby stilled and stared at the two men with wide eyes. Inuyasha's jaw clicked from how fast he grit his teeth. Both of their chests rose and fell rapidly from anger and Inuyasha turned and stormed out of the hospital into the street, turning to face Kouga.

"What the fuck was that for? That was bullshit and completely uncalled for, you son of a bitch!"

"Help me! Do it for Kagome!"

"Are you sure this is for her good? Or because you can't handle how different she is?" Inuyasha's gold eyes grew cold as they pinned Kouga in place with a glare. "Even if I wanted to, what makes you think I fucking _can?_ "

Kouga snarled and shoved at Inuyasha's chest, pushing him backwards, stun apparent on Inuyasha's face. "Because you did it before!" Kouga roared. "I was there! I _saw_! You made sure Kagome didn't leave. You kept her here. She didn't leave you…"

Even with Kouga's head bowed and his fists clenched in anger, Inuyasha could smell the scent of the youkai's tears. Inuyasha shook his head regretfully.

"Things were different then, Kouga," he said lowly.

"Are they really so different now? Are they?" Kouga challenged.

Inuyasha reared back in surprise. " _Yeah_ ," he rumbled, "they are." Gold flashed with the anger that surged within the hanyou and Inuyasha could feel his inner youkai threatening to follow the anger to the surface.

"You're better off having Sango speak to her," Inuyasha said gruffly.

"You think I'm a goddamn idiot? I tried that."

"And?"

Kouga scoffed. "I don't know. Sango said she'd visit Kagome. I haven't heard back and that was days ago. I haven't spoken to either of them."

Fighting the urge to hit Kouga, Inuyasha scoffed, "I know it's a weird idea coming from me, but just give it time. If Sango can't get Kagome to get out of her stupid funk, then no one can. She'll be back to normal soon enough."

"And if she's not?"

"She will be."

And if she's _not_?"

Inuyasha leveled a glare at Kouga but Kouga glared back defiantly. "If Sango can't get through to her…" Inuyasha turned away from Kouga, glowering at something unseen. "I can't promise anything. But I'll talk to her."

* * *

Sango's usual countenance was replaced with a worried frown. After Kouga's phone call, she was hesitant to press Kagome for anything, but the wolf youkai sounded so anxious, Sango wasn't sure that she could deny him this favor.

Of course, it wasn't just for him, but herself as well. Kagome was like a sister to her— she was just as concerned for her well being as Kouga was. She recalled how devastated her best friend was when her mother died. She expected much of the same after Sadao's recent murder. Sango cringed. Murder. It left a sick feeling in her stomach and a sour taste in her mouth even when she just thought about it.

"Lighten up, Ane-ue."

Sango's eyes slid over from where they focused on the road to where her younger brother sat in the passenger's seat. She pursed her lips and furrowed her brow.

"Kohaku, it's not that easy," she countered.

Kohaku mirrored her frown. "Of course it's not. They just lost their dad. But what good are we if we just mope along with them instead of trying to make them feel better again? They're our best friends."

With a sad smile, Sango nodded in understanding. "Maybe it's different for you and Souta. You two are guys… I guess the easiest thing is to try and move on, but Kagome... she's so hurt. Not to say that Souta isn't, but—"

"Kagome loves really hard and hurts really hard. I know." Kohaku looked out his window. "Souta's worried about her. I'm just saying, maybe don't go talk to her looking like she's a helpless baby. Even if she is really fragile."

Sango reached over and mussed his hair affectionately. "When'd you get so smart, twerp?"

Kohaku pushed her hand away with mock disgust. "Quit it! Ane-ue, I've _always_ been the smart one."

Raising her eyebrows, Sango laughed and shook her head at him. "Oh really?"

"Don't even try to deny it." He grinned and Sango felt her mood lift quickly. "Look, I've got one Higurashi. You take care of the other one."

Pulling up, Sango parked the car and nodded at him. "Alright, let's go."

The two slowly made their way up the stairs and paused on their way to the house, seeing Kagome staring up at Goshinboku. They exchanged careful looks and Kohaku cleared his throat.

"Hey, Kagome!"

Kagome turned over her shoulder and stared at the siblings in confusion. "Kohaku? I'm sorry, but Souta isn't here. He's at the university library studying."

Kohaku wrinkled his nose. "Damn it. Would you happen to know when he's coming back?"

"He didn't mention… I don't think it's anytime soon."

Kohaku looked back at Sango. "I guess I'll have to catch him another time…"

Sango glanced between him and Kagome. "I can bring you back home and come back," she started.

"Don't bother. I'm a big kid, now, Ane-ue. I can manage public transportation on my own."

"Are you sure?"

"Don't worry about me." Kohaku hugged her briefly, quietly wishing her luck. He lifted a hand in a friendly wave as he walked away. "See you later, Kagome!"

Kagome offered a feeble smile. "See you, Kohaku."

Sango watched him hurry down the steps before sighing and walking towards Kagome, her hands clasped in front of her. "How are you?"

Frowning, Kagome shrugged. "I'm okay."

"That's not what I've been hearing."

Kagome's features twisted in irritation. "Kouga doesn't know what he's talking about."

"Kagome… he's just worried about you. We all are." Sango reached for Kagome's hand, gripping it tightly. "We know this must be difficult."

"Sango, just drop it."

"But Kagome—"

"Drop it!" Kagome ripped her hand out of Sango's grasp and backed away, her chest heaving. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Kagome, you have to," Sango prodded gently.

"Why do I _have_ to?" Kagome hissed. "That's not going to change anything. My father will still be dead."

Sango recoiled from the vehemence in Kagome's attitude. "We all care about you, Kagome. We just want to see you happy again."

Kagome rolled her eyes and scoffed. "I'm sorry if my mood is dampening yours and Kouga's. I'll be sure to try and keep it away from you two."

"You know that's not what I meant." Sango placed her hands on her hips, her chocolate-colored eyes flashing annoyance, even when rationally, she knew Kagome was acting out from grief. "There's no reason to be so snippy about it. We just want to help."

"It would help if everyone would just leave me alone!"

"Kagome, we're your friends. We can't leave you alone."

"Why not? Everyone else has no problem leaving me!"

Sango stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Kagome's shoulders, pulling her closer. Kagome tried to resist at first but eventually sank into her friend's embrace, burying her face in Sango's shoulder, the tears soaking into her shirt. Sango shut her eyes tightly to ward against her own tears that threatened to spill over, rubbing soothing circles into Kagome's back.

"Come on, Kagome. When have I ever left your side? Even when you had that horrible case of post-chicken pox scars all over your face in elementary school. I still ate lunch with you."

Kagome's sob-induced hiccups momentarily shifted to laughter. "And then you got the chicken pox!"

"Best friends share everything," Sango retorted dryly.

She pulled away and dragged Kagome to the bench across from Goshinboku so they could sit down, refusing to release Kagome's hand. Kagome's sobs settled into light sniffles and Sango's face fell sympathetically.

"Talk to me, Kagome."

Kagome's swollen, bloodshot eyes were trained on Goshinboku once more. "He had just healed, Sango. I let him move back here and a few days later, he gets murdered? If I insisted he stay with me, maybe—"

"Maybe then the two of you get attacked at home and you both end up dead. I know that's not what your father would have wanted," Sango said firmly.

"I'm trying to make peace with it. I tell myself he's not aching or sore or weak. And he's with Mama and my brother. But it still hurts." Kagome turned her tearbright eyes to Sango. "How many more people will leave me?"

"Well I have another business trip to Osaka coming up soon, but I'll be back in four days' time," Sango quipped.

Kagome stared at her sardonically before rolling her eyes.

"Come on, Kagome," Sango pressed. "Something's really bothering you. More than grief."

"Have I made bad decisions, Sango?"

Sango blinked in confusion at the sudden topic change. "What do you mean? Kagome, you have a good life. A stable career, a great home, a healthy marriage. Friends and family who love you. It seems like you've made fantastic choices."

Kagome narrowed her eyes, still transfixed on Goshinboku. She rose and touched her palm to the trunk.

"Did I ever tell you my dad proposed to Mama under this tree?" Sango shook her head and Kagome smiled fondly at the grand tree. "They had just had a huge argument and Mama really thought that was the end of it. But then he showed up when she was crying under the tree and asked her to marry him. And this is where she told him she was pregnant with me."

Kagome stared up into the thick branches, her hand gripping the tree suddenly. "Sometimes, I think I can feel them near me when I'm under the tree. But that's probably just wishful thinking on my part."

"You grew up on a shrine, Kagome. And you obviously have a very strong attachment to the sacred tree. I wouldn't be surprised if your family _was_ here with you."

"It makes me happy and sad at the same time… and then I get so confused and angry. I'm glad they're here, but then I'm worried that they're seeing all of the ways I'm making the wrong choices."

Sango got up to her feet. "Kagome, that's the second time you've mentioned making a bad decision. What do you think you did wrong?"

"Dad said to not forget about my heart. To chase after my happiness and never to settle. One of the last things he said to me and I didn't know what he meant. I _still_ don't. But... I don't know what I want. I don't know who I am. I don't want them to be disappointed in me."

"Kagome, you know you who are. You're an amazing, kind, smart woman. You're like a sister to me. That's who you are. No one could be disappointed in you."

Kagome smiled sadly. "I don't know who that woman is, Sango. I need to discover her for myself."

"Kagome, what are you trying to say?"

"The woman you knew growing up died a little bit with every member of her family that left her behind. I feel like I have… nothing left. If not for jii-chan or Souta or you and Miroku…" Kagome's eyes took on a distant glaze, a vague longing in them. "I— I need to find myself again."

Sango smiled at her in understanding. "What do you need from me?"

"I know it's not what you want to do, but I just need space. I need you to trust that I can find my way back. _I_ need to know I can do it on my own."


	23. Chapter 23

_Last Time…_

_"Dad said to not forget about my heart. To chase after my happiness and never to settle. One of the last things he said to me and I didn't know what he meant. I_ _still_ _don't. But... I don't know what I want. I don't know who I am. I don't want them to be disappointed in me."_

" _Kagome, you know you who are. You're an amazing, kind, smart woman. You're like a sister to me. That's who you are."_

_Kagome smiled sadly. "I don't know who that woman is, Sango. I need to discover her for myself."_

" _Kagome, what are you trying to say?"_

" _The woman you knew growing up died a little bit with every member of her family that left her behind. I feel like I have… nothing left. If not for jii-chan or Souta or you and Miroku…" Kagome's eyes took on a distant glaze, a vague longing in them. "I— I need to find myself again."_

_Sango smiled at her in understanding. "What do you need from me?"_

" _I know it's not what you want to do, but I just need space. I need you to trust that I can find my way back._ I _need to know I can do it on my own."_

* * *

The office was bathed in a soft golden glow. Gradually, the shadows warped and shifted in sync with the sun's eventual arc across the sky. Kagome finished typing up the last of her notes as she finished up listening to the recording of her last board meeting earlier that afternoon. After saving her work, she looked up when her office door opened, revealing a shy looking woman.

"Chiro," Kagome greeted kindly. "I thought I told you to leave an hour ago. Your kids must be missing you."

Chiro blushed slightly and nervously fiddled with a stray lock of hair that fell out of her otherwise immaculate ponytail. "I doubt it. My husband's parents took them for a weekend camping trip straight after school. It's just me and my husband for the next few days."

Kagome grinned. "Then your _husband_ is definitely missing you!" she teased. "Go on! Go home. You have a mini-vacation waiting for you."

With a wince, Chiro was reluctant to say what she needed to tell Kagome. Her boss was just starting to get back to normal and she was worried that what she was about to say would ruin that.

"I was just about to… It's just… well your husband arrived a moment ago, Kagome. I told him that you didn't wish to be disturbed and that I'd tell you he visited before I left. He didn't seem to want to listen when I said you were very firm about being left alone. He's… not like himself right now."

The grin immediately fell off of Kagome's face, confirming Chiro's suspicions, and she sighed. "It's okay, Chiro. You can send him in. Make the most of your weekend. Send my regards to your husband."

Regarding her boss uncertainly, Chiro nodded shakily and closed the door behind her as she left. Not long after, Kouga burst through the door, nearly forcing it to slam into the wall as it swung. Kagome immediately rose out of her seat and stormed to the door to shut it close, peering out into the hall, grateful to see the mostly empty cubicles and that stories of her rampant youkai husband wouldn't spread throughout the ubilding. She turned and stared at Kouga incredulously, planting her hands on her hips.

"Kouga?" she asked, her voice slightly pitched higher than usual. "What's gotten into you?"

Kouga's cheeks were flushed, his blue eyes glazed, his mouth was slightly parted as he panted. He wobbled where he stood and smiled lazily at Kagome before walking towards her.

"Kagome," he slurred, his arms reaching out. Kagome's eyes widened but suddenly, she was surrounded by him as he enveloped her in a vice grip. She wriggled against him, pushing at his chest until she could turn her head so that she could breathe. The scent of liquor wafted off of him and had her wrinkling her nose.

"Are you drunk?" Kagome grunted as she tried to wrestle out of his arms. She sighed in futility against the youkai. "Kouga, what were you thinking?"

"Kago _me_ ," Kouga droned, elongating the last syllable of her name into a whine. His breath was hot and Kagome turned her face away from the strong scent of alcohol.

"Kouga!"

He leaned down, his eyes closed, to nuzzle her neck.

"I wish you smelled like me," he grumbled. "Me by mate." He screwed up his face in frustration. "Me my bate. _Be my mate_."

Kagome renewed her attempts to escape his hold but froze when he kissed her hard. Squeaking, Kagome tried to pull away, but Kouga just followed after her, his tall frame allowing him to tower over her easily. She wrenched her head to the side, just for him to attach his lips to her exposed neck again. He used his fangs to nip hard enough that he would leave a mark.

" _Kouga!_ " Kagome pushed harder against him. "What are you doing? Stop!"

"Don't want to," Kouga mumbled into her skin.

Her scent and proximity only spurred him to continue. When his hands released her waist and began to rove over her body, Kagome took advantage of that split second to throw all of her body weight to the side so that she could break out of his grip and run behind her desk, grabbing her phone.

"Kouga, you're drunk!" she yelled. "I'm calling you a car to take you home!" She huffed while she fixed her mussed up clothes.

Kouga glared at her, his focus wavering. "Stop… moving!" He narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm not drunk!"

Kagome scoffed, "Yeah, right! You absolutely _reek_ of alcohol. Shouldn't you have been home by now?"

"What's the fucking point?" Kouga bellowed, causing Kagome to jump and yelp in surprise. He glared at her, his arms taut with tension at his sides, his shoulders rising to hunch near his ears. "Why should I go home to an empty place? I don't wanna go to an empty place!"

"I told you… I just need time to myself to figure things out. You said you understood."

"Yeah? Well maybe I don't understood as well as I thought I did. Maybe _I_ need to figure myself out, too!" he mocked.

Staring at him, Kagome made tiny, choked sounds, hurt splashing across her features. She yelled back, "Don't you dare yell at me here! I'm not having this fight with you while you're drunk. We'll speak tomorrow when you're _sober_."

In a flash, Kouga was in front of her, a crash resounding in her ears as he tossed her desk aside easily, her papers fluttering and her computer breaking into pieces. He gripped her shoulders tightly and Kagome could feel the cool glass of her window pressed against her back, the chill seeping through the thin material of her blouse and into her skin. Kagome screwed her eyes shut and breathed heavily as Kouga held her. She opened them and saw Kouga glaring down at her.

"We always do _everything_ on your terms. Yeah, this is supposed to be a fucking marriage, Kagome. A partnership," he growled. "Don't mistake my kindness to mean that I'm your bitch."

Kagome felt goosebumps dot her skin and the hair on the back of her neck rising on end. "Kouga," she tried to say soothingly, but she could hear the fearful tremble in her voice.

His hazy blue eyes caught hers and Kagome gulped uncertainly under their hold. Kouga brought his face closer to hers and Kagome closed her eyes and fought not to shake as his breath dusted over her.

"Don't forget who the alpha in this relationship is," he said unpromisingly.

"Kouga, this isn't you—"

"I didn't think it was, but losing you… it brought something to the surface."

Kagome stared up at him, eyes wide and breathing harshly. "Please, this isn't you. You haven't lost me. I just need—"

"What if it is— what if you did this to me?" Kouga's next words tumbled from his mouth in a rush of barely indistinguishable syllables. "I am sick of your shit."

Flinching as if he struck her, Kagome shook her head imploringly. Kouga pulled back, stumbling as he tripped over his own feet. Kagome reached out to try and stop him from falling, but he caught himself and glared at her outstretched hand. She frowned and pulled back her hand, curling her fingers into a loose fist, and cradling it in the center of her chest.

"If you wanna help me… get normal back."

Before Kagome could respond, he staggered out of the room, roughly pushing aside the security guards that ran into the threshold of her office.

"Higurashi-san!" one of them called out before running to her side. "Nishimura-san warned us we should look after you. We heard a crash. Are you okay, Higurashi-san?"

Kagome briefly closed her eyes in gratitude to Chiro for watching out for her.

"Would you like us to call the authorities?"

Kagome slumped down and sat on her legs, almost wanting to laugh at the suggestion. That _was_ one of Tokyo's finest. Instead, she shook her head numbly.

"I… I think I just need help cleaning up this mess," she whispered hoarsely.

"Please, don't worry about that. We'll file a report and the custodial staff will fix your office in time for Monday."

"I'm sorry," Kagome said quietly.

"Nonsense, Higurashi-san. This wasn't your fault. Do you need someone to take you home?"

"No, I'll be fine," she replied in the same soft tone.

As the guards waited patiently at the doorway for the custodial staff to arrive, Kagome glanced down at the phone still clutched at her hand. Dialing and holding the phone to her ear, she spoke timidly, her voice cracking slightly. "Ginta? Kouga needs help."

* * *

Inuyasha sighed, folding his arms as he glared at the steps that led up to Higurashi Shrine. He was here because Sango called and told him he had to get his ass here and help their friend while she was in Osaka. Before he could change his mind like he wanted to, Inuyasha stomped out of his car and stood indecisively at the base of the steps. He took a deep breath and launched into the air, landing lightly at the top before the air was expelled from his lungs. As he turned, he immediately caught her scent and he slowed his gait, allowing it to wash over him as he took in the sight of Kagome gazing at the large tree. Kagome was still dressed in her work outfit, which he knew was strange since Kagome liked to get into more comfortable clothes as soon as she got home. Especially since it was already so late. Then again, those were old habits. Things changed, he supposed, especially after years apart.

He hesitated, unsure of the validity of Kouga's assertions from their conversation days ago. Inuyasha tried to ignore the wolf's cries for help, but something kept nagging at him and he knew, besides Sango's phone calls that, deep down, he couldn't avoid Kagome anymore.

Creeping up, Inuyasha was an arm's span away from her before he cleared his throat lightly. Kagome jumped and glanced over her shoulder to look at him, the shock not turning into annoyance like he expected. Instead, Kagome let out a little puff of air— a small sound of relief— before she turned completely and Inuyasha froze when she threw herself into him.

He looked down at the crown of black hair and instinctively wrapped his arms around her as she buried her face into his torso, her own arms trying to reach all the way around him. Inuyasha felt a familiar ache in his chest and knew that it was the pang that he always felt when Kagome was distressed. Using a tenderness that only surfaced in her presence, Inuyasha touched a finger to the bottom of her chin and prodded Kagome to raise her face and look up at him. The dim light from the lamps in the shrine's courtyard cast a strange light over her, highlighting the shadows in her expression. With a heavy sigh, Inuyasha shifted and left one arm around her back while the other hooked under her knees.

Inuyasha leapt up and settled onto a low branch of Goshinboku, resting his back against the trunk and nestling Kagome between his legs. She stared at him, a myriad of emotions warring in her eyes, but even so, there was a distinct lack of Kagome's usual warmth in them. Inuyasha frowned at the depth of the sadness in the honey brown orbs. This was the phantom woman that Kouga warned him took Kagome's place.

"You wanna talk about it?" he asked plainly.

"Where have you been?" Kagome mumbled bleakly.

Leaning back to peer down at her, Inuyasha sulked in confusion. "What do you mean 'where have I been'?"

A miserable air settled over Kagome and she swatted at his chest lightly. "Baka," she muttered. "You disappeared weeks ago."

Inuyasha blinked at her and Kagome watched the stubborn set of his jaw soften subtly, the guarded look in his golden eyes falling away and revealing confusion and the vulnerability of the man within the hanyou. "I wanted to give you your space," he said quietly. "I didn't want to bother you or… intrude? I don't know. You needed time to grieve. Figured if you needed to talk to someone, you had Kouga or your brother or Sango."

Kagome's eyes flickered down momentarily before meeting his once more. "Baka," she said again. "I needed _you_." Feeling the sharp intake of air as Inuyasha's chest suddenly rose against her, Kagome's brow furrowed in a scowl. "But I don't want to."

As quickly as Inuyasha's chest lightened from her words, her succeeding ones caused a heavy weight to settle in his stomach. His fingers instantly flinched away from her and Kagome winced. She chewed on her lower lip and fisted her hands in her lap, turning away from him so she could perch on the branch, her legs moving like a child's on a playground swing.

Swallowing harshly, she clarified, "My father's last words to me…" Kagome glanced at Inuyasha, a silent question in her gaze.

" _Don't be like me, Kagome. Don't make my mistakes. Don't forget about your heart… Kagome, be happy."_

Inuyasha answered her with a mute nod and Kagome shook her head, looking up into Goshinboku's branches helplessly. "Why would he tell me that? Why did he think I was neglecting myself?"

"Because you're a self-sacrificing idiot sometimes," Inuyasha mumbled. He quirked an eyebrow at her in silent challenge and Kagome made a strange sound in her throat that was torn between laughing and crying.

"Maybe," she allowed finally.

"I mean it. Sometimes, you're a real masochist who doesn't know when to quit."

Kagome regarded him with her strange, sad eyes. "Look who's talking."

"Keh! I do it because I'm a cocky bastard. You— you're too kind for your own good."

Inuyasha reached out and gently stroked his fingers through her thick hair, the motion releasing waves of her scent into the air. He tensed, his hand caught midway through a lock when another scent came to him. Instantly, he leaned forward and grabbed her face between his palms, being mindful to not do so roughly.

"What the fuck did he do?" Inuyasha demanded.

"What?"

"Don't try and deflect me. Answer the damn question!"

Kagome shook her head, but Inuyasha lifted her chin once more, brushing away her raven hair, and seeing the dark bruises on her neck as well as the tiny slashes on the shoulders and upper arms of her blouse, some of them dotted with pinpricks of her dried blood.

"He was drunk," Kagome murmured. "He didn't mean it. He's hurting, too. Kouga would never intentionally hurt me. It was all an accident… He lost control."

The look in Inuyasha's eyes was murderous, his gold eyes steely and glinting dangerously. "That's not an excuse, Kagome," he grit out. "I want to fucking kill him for hurting you, accident or not."

"This is nothing, Inuyasha."

"I don't give a fuck! Even if all he did was hand you a piece of paper and gave you a paper cut, I'd still be pissed!"

With a shuddering breath, Kagome's fists clenched tighter in her lap and Inuyasha immediately took hold of her wrists, his thumbs rubbing against her skin quietly. "You're here on behalf of him, aren't you?" she countered.

A brooding pout in place, Inuyasha nodded reluctantly. "Partly. Like I said, I wanted to give you your space. But he told me that you weren't acting like yourself." His cheeks pinked. "And I wanted to make sure for myself that you were okay."

"He told you that earlier today?"

Inuyasha grimaced in embarrassment. "A while ago..."

"What's the verdict?" she asked dryly.

"Kagome, why didn't you just come to me if you needed me?"

Eyes locked and for the first time, Inuyasha saw a flicker of the usual Kagome in her eyes before it was smothered by the dark sadness. "I don't _want_ to need you. I want to be able to do it on my own. I-I don't know— everyone who gets close to me _dies_." Her voice broke and Kagome couldn't help the tears tracing their way down her face. Her shoulders and voice similarly trembling, she continued, "Every time I bury another loved one, they take a piece of me with them. And I _know_ Kouga sees it. And so did Sango. I can't help it. I told Sango I needed to find myself and do it on my own but… I'm still lost."

She glanced up at Inuyasha when she felt the rough pad of his thumbs brushing away the tears on her cheeks, smoothing over her quivering lips. They parted beneath his touch without her consent and Inuyasha couldn't help but shiver at the way her breath fanned over his skin. "Inuyasha, I _can't_ need you."

Inuyasha watched her with an inscrutable look. "No matter what you might think, as long as I have breath in my lungs, I won't let anything happen to you," he whispered softly.

"Inuyasha…"

A sad understanding shone in his eyes and he added, "Even though I _know_ you don't really need me. Because you're strong enough, Kagome. You are. But sometimes, you need a break and I'm the one who wants to—" he broke off, his cheeks warming.

"What?"

He averted his gaze and this time, it was Kagome who grabbed his face, pulling it towards her, leaving inches between them. " _What_ , Inuyasha?"

He still avoided her eyes, but he mumbled roughly, "I want to be the one who keeps you safe and takes care of you."

"Oh." Kagome stared at him, her eyes wide, while her hands slowly shifted and released his face to grasp his shoulders instead. " _Oh_ ," she breathed, her own cheeks pinking. "Inuy—"

"Just… don't." He frowned and pulled her hands away from his shoulders but Kagome fought against his grip. Even though he could have easily broken it, he left her hands and raised his eyebrows in silent question.

Kagome's lower lip jutted out slightly in a small pout as she frowned at him. "I thought… At the funeral, I saw you... I thought you and Ayame—"

"We're not," Inuyasha cut in. Maintaining eye contact with her, he just knew she could see how red his face was even in the dark, but continued, "We're just friends."

Her own cheeks burning, Kagome blinked as her mouth formed an 'O'. She bit her lower lip and looked up at him warily. "We made peace about the whole situation years ago… but we haven't really talked about the situation now."

Inuyasha finally shrugged off her hold. "What is there to talk about?" he snapped. He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "We're friends, right?"

Undeterred by the brashness with which he spoke, Kagome inclined her head as she answered, "Inuyasha, you're one of my _best_ friends." Her heart swelled when he cast her a shy half-smile.

"That's what I asked from you a year ago. And we made it there," he said simply.

With a frown, Kagome wanted to press on, but decided to leave the matter alone for now. Instead, she cleared her throat nervously and asked, "Inuyasha?"

"Hm?"

"I'm glad to hear you say that you have friends. I remember when that wouldn't have been the case."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Well there was this pushy little girl that liked to meddle in other people's business. I had no choice."

Kagome couldn't help but grin at him and Inuyasha returned the smile with such warmth, Kagome found herself dazed for a moment.

"Inuyasha?" she asked again.

"What now?" his gruff words lost their desired effect, undermined by the uncharacteristically soft tone with which he spoke.

Kagome nervously tapped her two pointer fingers together. "Even if you think you need to give me space or you hear me asking for it from someone else… I don't mean you." Kagome shrugged and continued, "I promise I won't retreat like I have been… I really _have_ been trying by myself the past few weeks… just don't disappear like that again okay?"

" _I just wanted some closure. I mean, for five years, I didn't really have an explanation or… much of anything. There was no reason as to why someone I loved just left me… It was too close— It was too close to Mama."_

Guilt settled in Inuyasha's gut and he mentally kicked himself for making her pain worse. He pulled her to his chest and wrapped his arms around her tightly. "I'm sorry."

Kagome closed her eyes and sighed as she leaned against him. "I'm sorry, too."

"You're sure I can't kick Kouga's ass for what he did to you?"

She almost smiled if it weren't for the fact that she knew Inuyasha was partially, if not mostly, serious. "Don't," she said exasperatedly. "I haven't been fair to him and he's been hurting. I'll talk to him tomorrow. I sent Ginta to take care of him. I'm sure he'll come by and apologize and we'll discuss it."

"The son of a bitch better grovel on his fucking knees. He's still going to hear it from me at work on Monday. Hurting or not, the bastard should never lift a finger against you."

"I'm not letting him off the hook, okay? I just... I can sympathize with where he's coming from." Kagome blindly reached up to press her hand over his face until finding his mouth, effectively quieting him. Inuyasha glared at her and jerked away from her hand, earning himself a small giggle. He sighed and allowed her to settle against his chest while he leaned against the trunk of the tree, the both of them staring up at the snatches of dark sky from between the sparse leaves still hanging onto Goshinboku's branches, lost in their thoughts.

They remained together for an indefinite amount of time. To the both of them, it seemed like both seconds and hours passed. Time always managed to warp when it was just the two of them in their own little world. Inuyasha looked down when he finally noticed her deep, even breaths. Holding her more securely to his chest, he leapt down from Goshinboku lightly and walked towards the Higurashi house. Souta was sitting at the kitchen table, books open in front of him, and a knowing look on his face. He greeted Inuyasha with a nod and fidgety glance before turning towards his books again. As Inuyasha tucked Kagome into her childhood bed, he felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

Not much had changed since Kagome had moved out of the house when she attended university. It remained the same, but the two of them were irrevocably changed, he knew. Kagome shifted, a frown marring her features. She mumbled incoherently and sighed before settling back again. Inuyasha watched her another moment before turning to leave.

He froze when she mumbled again. It was a familiar sound. Inuyasha held his breath as he closed the door behind him, her muted voice managing to echo thunderously in his mind.

Kagome called out his name.


	24. Chapter 24

_Last Time…_

_They remained together for an indefinite amount of time. To the both of them, it seemed like both seconds and hours passed. Time always managed to warp when it was just the two of them in their own little world. Inuyasha looked down when he finally noticed her deep, even breaths. Holding her more securely to his chest, he leapt down from Goshinboku lightly and walked towards the Higurashi house. Souta was sitting at the kitchen table, books open in front of him, and a knowing look on his face. He greeted Inuyasha with a nod and fidgety glance before turning towards his books again. As Inuyasha tucked Kagome into her childhood bed, he felt a strange sense of déjà vu._

_Not much had changed since Kagome had moved out of the house when she attended university. It remained the same, but the two of them were irrevocably changed, he knew. Kagome shifted, a frown marring her features. She mumbled incoherently and sighed before settling back again. Inuyasha watched her another moment before turning to leave._

_He froze when she mumbled again. It was a familiar sound. Inuyasha held his breath as he closed the door behind him, her muted voice managing to echo thunderously in his mind._

_Kagome called out his name._

* * *

Inuyasha slowly made it down the stairs and stepped into the kitchen, a dazed look on his face. He glanced at the table, expecting to see Souta surrounded by his books again. However, he was surprised by the sparse table. All of the books previously spread across the wooden surface were closed and neatly piled on top of one another in a corner. Souta himself was nowhere to be found. Inuyasha took a tentative sniff and frowned, his scent within the house stale.

"Where'd the kid go?" he mumbled to himself.

He glanced back up the stairs to the dark hallway that held all of the bedrooms. There was no light peeking out from any of the rooms. Inuyasha stared a moment longer, his keen hearing alerting him to nothing, before shrugging it off and quietly exiting the house, making sure to lock the door behind him with the key he still held from the short time he had lived in the house… before he failed.

Fists clenching tightly, Inuyasha raised his face towards the inky blackness of the sky, glaring at the few stars that managed to twinkle at him through the Tokyo metropolis' lights. After his anger finally seeped away from him, Inuyasha took a deep breath, the cold air causing him to shiver. Peering down at his watch, Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at how late or rather, early, it was.

' _No wonder the kid turned in for the night. Did Kagome and I really spend that much time in the damn tree?'_

Inuyasha turned back to the house and considered his options. There was no point in heading to his apartment with barely enough time to sleep before giving his mother a long-overdue visit the next day. With another glance at his watch, he sighed and pulled out the key in his back pocket, re-entering the home and kicking off his shoes before padding off into the living room to plop down onto the couch, shifting until he was comfortable enough against the cushions. He had stayed in Kagome's room during his stay at the shrine house since her grandfather and father would stay in their own rooms and Souta often visited on weekends.

' _That's probably why she said my name. Smelled me on the sheets… or I left something on her desk. That's all,'_ he reasoned to himself. _'Probably imagined the whole thing. I just need some goddamn sleep.'_

Continuing to move restlessly against the couch, Inuyasha managed to fall into a light, fitful slumber.

When he woke up, he found himself leaping off of the couch and crouching predatorily at the sudden movement he picked up, his eyes trained on the dark figure coming in through the front door.

"What the fuck, Inuyasha!"

As soon as he saw the hanyou in the dark, Souta immediately pressed back against the wall, his back slamming against it with a loud thud.

Immediately dropping his stance, Inuyasha groaned and his shoulders fell as he glared at Souta. Souta slowly closed the door behind him and lowered his bag at his feet.

"Quiet, idiot. Your grandfather and Kagome are still asleep. Now mind telling me what the hell you were doing out at this hour?"

Souta bristled against the stern tone Inuyasha used against him and fired back, "I'm not a kid, Inuyasha so quit thinking of me like that. I'm already twenty-one years old. I don't _need_ someone to babysit me."

"Then quit acting like you need to be babysat," Inuyasha hissed back, his eyes darting up at the stairs as they argued.

Uncharacteristically, Souta sneered at Inuyasha and pushed past the hanyou to head towards the stairs. "I don't need you to act like my father. My parents are dead."

Inuyasha's ears drooped slightly as he gaped after the young man stomping away from him, disappearing upstairs. He flinched when he heard the door slam and hoped Souta didn't wake up the rest of his family. He made a face when he heard small movements coming from Kagome's room. With a heavy sigh, Inuyasha crept up to her room and closed the door behind him. Kagome was sitting up in her bed, blinking away the remaining traces of sleep as she lifted her arms above her head in a stretch.

Kagome failed to notice the way Inuyasha's gold orbs honed in on the sliver of pale skin revealed by the lifting of her blouse when she stretched. Instead, she fell back against her pillow and moaned tiredly.

"What's with the door slamming?" she grumbled. Kagome opened a single eye to peek at the clock on her nightstand. "Did Souta just get home?" she gasped.

"Yeah… I… I'm not even sure when he left."

"Inuyasha?" she said with a tone of surprise, her eyes landing on him as if noticing him for the first time.

Inuyasha stared at her in disbelief. "No, a fucking garden gnome."

"That can't be right." Kagome shuffled over and pat the empty space of her bed. "Your ears are much cuter than a gnome's."

Ignoring the embarrassed blush that reawakened from her comment, Inuyasha sat on the edge of her bed gingerly, an equally sour expression on his face, the triangular ears flattening against his scalp.

Kagome shrugged at him apologetically. "I just meant, I'm surprised you're still here. I would've thought that you'd go home. Sorry about that."

"Keh! Don't worry about it. I… I didn't wanna make the trip back to my place. Wanted to get _some_ sleep."

Humming in thought, Kagome crawled out from the covers and over the edge of the bed, rummaging through her drawers. "Well don't let me keep you. Go ahead."

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I need a bath. And I'm up so I might as well start my day." Kagome continued to hum under her breath as she moved throughout the room, gathering clothes and a towel. "I mean it, Inuyasha! Go to bed. Kami knows you deserve a good night's sleep. Don't worry about me."

Inuyasha watched her warily. The woman in front of him was much different from the woman he found last night. He didn't move and Kagome rolled her eyes, her hands firmly planted on her hips. A hint of a smile tugged at her lips and she playfully snapped her towel at him, using nowhere near the amount of force necessary to properly snap it so the cloth wilted pitifully instead. Inuyasha usually would have laughed and made fun of her, but he kept staring at her in contemplative silence.

"Sleep! I'm going to make breakfast and help Jii-chan sweep the courtyard and shrine before I head home. It's the weekend so we'll be getting a lot of visitors and tourists today," she rattled off.

When Inuyasha still didn't make any move to go to bed, Kagome laughed lightly. "Suit yourself, but I'm getting my day started. I've been putting off some things for too long."

"Kagome."

Kagome froze as she headed towards the door. She quirked an eyebrow up at him in silent question.

Inuyasha's eyes bore down on her, two suns whose beams she couldn't escape. He held her in place, in anticipation of his next words. He offered a tired smile to relax her.

"I'm glad you're back."

Kagome relaxed, exhaling softly through her nose in a tiny laugh as she looked down and smiled to herself. "Thanks. Me too."

* * *

When Kouga finally woke up, the combination of his enhanced youkai senses and his massive hangover did little to relieve the horrible feeling churning deep in his stomach. He groaned as he rolled over onto his side, breathing heavily through his mouth to try and limit the overwhelming scent of liquor radiating off of him.

"What the _fuck_ …"

Squinting against the bright sunlight filtering through the large windows, Kouga realized he was lying on the floor of his living room, the couch a few feet away. In the corner, Ginta was slumped against a wall, his head awkwardly lolling onto its side as it rested on his shoulder. Kouga shook his head in confusion, immediately regretting the motion as a searing pain crashed through his skull. At the sound of incoming footsteps, Kouga turned and saw Hakkaku entering the room, a glass of water and a bottle of aspirin in his hands.

"Figure you need this," he said shortly.

Kouga slowly got to his feet, his muscles and bones protesting, before he trudged over and took the water and aspirin from Hakkaku.

"What the hell happened?"

"You don't remember?"

Kouga glared at Hakkaku, the effect diminished by the wince overtaking his expression from the dizziness accompanying the speed with which Kouga turned his neck. "Obviously, if I did, I wouldn't have asked," he grit out.

Hakkaku sighed and leaned against the back of the couch, his lips pursed, his arms folded across his chest. "Suffice it to say, you got shitfaced."

"Gathered that," Kouga commented dryly.

"No, Kouga, I mean _really bad_. I'm not even surprised you're this hungover. That, of all things, should let you know. How hard have we partied during university and still not had a hangover as bad as the one you're having now? Even a youkai liver can't keep up with what you did last night."

Gulping down his water, Kouga frowned. "Last thing I remember… was agreeing to go out with some of the guys at the station for some drinks after work…"

"I can't tell you what happened after that. _Except_ that Ginta and I got a call from Kagome saying you needed our help and she didn't know where you were headed. Scared the shit out of her, Kouga," Hakkaku chastised. He nodded at Ginta sleeping in the corner. "We told him to take one of the guest bedrooms, but he said he'd stick with me and you."

Kouga's expression turned stricken as hazy memories slowly filtered into his mind. He looked back on them with little clarity, trying to piece together the events of the previous night. "Kagome? _No_ … where is she? Kagome!"

Ginta jerked awake from Kouga's frantic yelling. Hakkaku rushed to grab Kouga before he could rampage through the house and worsen his hangover doing so.

"Do you know what you did to her?" Ginta demanded, his tone somewhat muted by the remnants of sleep fogging his mind.

Turning towards him, Kouga rushed forward and fisted his hands in the front of Ginta's shirt. "What did I do?" he bellowed.

Gingerly removing himself from Kouga's grip, Ginta huffed. "It's not good, whatever it was. Kouga, I've never heard Kagome like that before. She sounded _terrified_."

Hakkaku nodded solemnly in agreement. "But she still wanted to make sure you were okay. Ginta and I tracked you down passed out in some dive in Shinjuku Golden Gai."

Kouga groaned and closed his eyes tiredly. "I really fucked up, didn't I?"

"You did."

Jumping at the new voice that entered the conversation, Kouga turned and saw Kagome standing in the doorway, a guarded expression on her face, but her eyes determined and more lively than Kouga could remember seeing them in the past few weeks since Sadao's death.

"Kagome…" he began.

"Lunch is ready, guys," she said amiably, a tight smile on her face for Ginta and Hakkaku. "Ginta, I told you, if you refuse to sleep in the guest room, then you could have at least slept on the couch."

Ginta rubbed the back of his neck bashfully. "Aw, it's okay, Kagome."

Kagome frowned at him, but hurried him to the kitchen where she cooked lunch for the three men. Ginta and Hakkaku were quick to follow her instructions, but Kouga lingered, staring at Kagome with a remorseful light in his blue orbs. Kagome sighed.

"Go shower quickly. Get something to eat. We'll talk later. I'll be sorting through some of my dad's stuff that I brought over from the shrine."

Before Kouga could nod, Kagome walked away.

Kagome was right where she said she'd be, in her home office, surrounded by piles and boxes marked 'Keep', 'Donate', and 'Get rid of'. Kouga knocked on the doorframe to announce his presence and Kagome looked up absently from a shirt she held in her hands.

"You were right to tell me not to rush to get rid of his stuff before. I think I would have regretted a lot of my choices."

Kouga swallowed and nodded slowly. "You were grieving—"

"Still am."

Deflating slightly, Kouga continued slowly, "I just… you weren't in the right place mentally to be doing something so important."

Kagome's eyes took on a speculative look. "Do you remember what happened last night?" she asked quietly.

"Bits and pieces," he confessed. "I don't even remember how I got to your office. Chiro was telling me you insisted on not being bothered and I got so pissed… and… I remember snatches of our conversation."

Kouga came into the room, his hands held out entreatingly. "Kagome, I'm _so_ sorry. Words can't begin to describe how horrible I feel. I—I feel sick knowing that I scared you."

Smiling wryly, she replied, "You sure that it isn't just the hangover?" When Kouga didn't respond, Kagome gave him an understanding look. "Kouga, I know you're sorry." Kouga met her eyes expectantly and she held up a hand to stop him from speaking. "But we have a lot to talk about. You scared me, you hurt me, and you disrespected me. I'm not going to lie— I'm angry."

"Your arms—"

"They don't hurt," she assured him.

A thick silence fell between them and Kouga shrugged.

"Kagome, I love you."

It appeared to be the wrong thing to say as Kagome tossed the shirt she was holding back into the box, storming up to Kouga to poke him in the chest as she spoke.

" _That's_ how you show me you love me? Demanding that I become your mate? Telling me I'm taking advantage of your kindness? Destroying my office— _threatening me_?! I know that isn't you, Kouga. I know you're not some kind of bully, but essentially, you were a self-righteous bastard!"

"I—"

"I _told_ you that you didn't lose me. I just needed some time and space to grieve. And you told me that you were 'sick of my shit'?"

"I did that?" Kouga asked in a broken voice.

Kagome closed her eyes to hold back the tears that collected. "I know you were drunk and that you weren't acting like yourself. But Kouga, that had to come from somewhere inside of you that really means it. You're my husband. We're partners. I know I haven't been easy to deal with, but there had to be a better way to address those issues."

"Kagome, I tried! I tried! I'd visit you at the shrine, but you walked around like some damn zombie version of yourself and you didn't want me around! You didn't want to come home and you didn't want me to stay there so what else could I do?"

"Do you understand the amount of pressure I've been under the past year?" Kagome was now screaming to match his voice level. "Sometimes, it's hard to do the right thing and be as perfect as everyone expects me to be! People don't take into account that I'm _hurting_ , and my life isn't exactly easy right now. Guess what? I'm not perfect. I'm human! I'm a real person!"

Kouga reached out to take her hand but Kagome stepped back. "Kagome, I finally realized that—" he said in a placating manner.

"No! Stop acting like you know me when it's blatantly obvious that you don't. Don't hold my hand and call it love."

"Are you going to let me talk now?" he retorted.

Kagome stared at him incredulously. "Go ahead," she said dryly.

"I said I was sorry, okay? I never meant to— I never _want_ to hurt you. I've been struggling the past year, too, and I should have never taken it out on you. But I mean, it did some good, didn't it? It got you back. I'm finally seeing the old you again."

"If you think that fear was a good motivator for me, you're sorely mistaken," she snapped before pushing past him.

Kouga followed her out, calling after her, "Then what is?"

Kagome whipped around, her eyes a startling paradox as they were filled with tears, but spitting fire. "Friendship! I thought I married my best friend and that I could count on him to be there for me and understand when I need to be alone." Kagome scoffed and took a shaky breath while she ran a hand through her thick hair. "I'm going to go get some more boxes to pack Dad's stuff in. I think we both need to cool off."

He could only watch her snatch her keys and coat before hurrying out of the house, the sound of her car reverberating in his still too-sensitive ears. Kouga's face darkened as he finally remembered more of the previous night's events. He had called Sango to check in on her and see how her talk with Kagome went.

" _Kouga, I tried talking to her, but I'm not sure how much good it did. She assured me that she just needs time and space and to be fair, that's to be expected when you're grieving."_

" _I know, Sango, but something still seems_ off _about her."_

_He could hear the sympathy in Sango's voice as it traveled over the phone's speaker. "I know it's hard to watch someone you love hurting, but she's handling it. It may not be as fast as we like, but we can't rush her. All we can do is be there for her when she asks for it."_

" _I guess…" he allowed. "I asked Inuyasha a while back to talk to her, but I don't think the mutt's done it."_

_Sango raised an eyebrow as she stared at her cell phone, her interest piqued, not that Kouga could see that. "I don't know if Inuyasha would be the best way to comfort Kagome," she said vaguely._

_Kouga chuckled. "Yeah, knowing him, he'd probably piss off Kagome and make it worse."_

" _Yeah," she replied noncommittally._

" _Maybe Inuyasha already tried and it didn't work and that's why he's not mentioning it to me. He probably doesn't want to admit he failed."_

_Sango laughed weakly. "I think you'd know if Inuyasha spoke to her."_

_Kouga joined in her laughter. "True. He'd probably be in a grumpier mood than usual and sulking from how she told him off." He sighed exhaustedly. "Thanks again, Sango. I appreciate it."_

" _Of course, Kagome's my best friend."_

" _I'll see you and Miroku soon. Maybe the four of us going out to dinner will help Kagome."_

" _Good night, Kouga."_

"I'd know if Inuyasha spoke to her…" Kouga mumbled.

There was a night and day difference between the woman he fought with last night and the one he just fought with now. Yes, Kagome argued with him and stood her ground, but she was far more timid last night, opting to convince him to leave, as opposed to the woman who argued every single one of his points with unyielding tenacity.

Kouga reached into his pocket and dialed his phone. He called the shrine and after several rings, he was about to hang up, his theory proven wrong. But then, there was a click over the line and a gruff voice answered.

"Higurashi shrine… hello? Hey old man! Come here and answer the damn phone! Stupid thing woke me up. I think someone's calling about visiting the shrine!"

There were shuffling sounds as the receiver was being passed along and he could hear muttering in the background.

"Dumb phone waking me up. I barely slept…"

"Hello? Higurashi shrine," a withered voice said tiredly.

Kouga hung up quickly.

* * *

Inuyasha's jaw dropped as he let out a wide yawn, his sharp fangs perfectly visible as he took in the deep breath. He yelped slightly when his mother gently tweaked his ear after placing the bowl of noodles in the center of the table.

"Manners, Inuyasha," she scolded lightly.

Inuyasha made a face but mumbled an apology under his breath before transferring a generous portion of the hot broth into his bowl. He waited attentively for Izayoi to sit down and begin filling her own bowl with food before he began to slurp noisily at his meal, earning an amused glance from his mother.

"I'm surprised you weren't stuck in traffic after waking up late. To get from your apartment to here is a nightmare at this hour."

Swallowing loudly, Inuyasha took another deep breath and shrugged. "I didn't come from my apartment. I came from the shrine."

Izayoi arched a delicate brow upwards. "From the shrine?"

Inuyasha nodded, busying himself with using his chopsticks to pick up another impossibly large amount of noodles and putting it in his mouth. "I was there late last night," he explained with a full mouth. "By the time I was set to go home, it was already so late, I figured I'd just stay there."

"I see…" she said, a pensive glint to her dark eyes. "Why were you there?"

A sour look came over Inuyasha's expression and he wrinkled his nose as he ate another mouthful. Izayoi bit her lip to keep from laughing. From the look on her son's face, she knew had anyone else asked, he'd be telling them to mind their own business.

"Wanted to check on them," he said in a clipped tone.

Smiling warmly in approval, Izayoi nodded in understanding, Inuyasha visibly relaxing in return. Of course, she expected for him to visit for Kagome's sake, but she knew that he also cared for Souta and Kagome's grandfather in his own way. "How are they?"

Inuyasha put his chopsticks down, staring into the broth with a thoughtful gaze. "Old man is sad, but he's old. He knows by now that this is how life goes. Souta's _pissed_ at the world. Can't say I blame him, either. Should probably talk to him… but seeing how he reacted to me before, maybe Sango's kid brother should talk to him." His fingers flexed restlessly as they held his chopsticks. "Kagome… I think she'll be okay now. When I left, she said something about finally going through his things."

"That's good. I've been meaning to stop by and speak with her, but I didn't want to overstep my boundaries."

"I don't think she'll mind, Mom," he said quietly.

"I'll call her after lunch then. See if she needs help packing boxes."

The doorbell rang and interrupted Inuyasha's response. He stood before his mother did, holding up a hand to stall her. "I'll get it."

Izayoi sat back down slowly, frowning, since she wasn't expecting anyone to visit except for Inuyasha. When she heard raised voices, she hurried from the dining room to the front door where uniformed officers were arguing with Inuyasha. She rushed forward, pushing Inuyasha behind her protectively though he was much bigger than her. Inuyasha instantly stepped in front of her, his arms spread out and gripping the sides of the doorframe so that Izayoi had to peek from under his arms.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

One of the officers glanced at her apologetically. "I'm sorry, ma'am. But we're under orders to bring in Inspector Takado."

"'Bring in'?" she echoed. "You must be mistaken. What do you mean? He's an inspector."

"Mom," Inuyasha growled warningly. "Under whose orders?" he barked at the officers.

"The Superintendent, sir."

Inuyasha sobered slightly. "What? Fuck… On what grounds?"

He shared a look with his partner and sighed. "We're not at liberty to discuss."

"Bullshit," Inuyasha snarled. "I know my rights!"

The officer's face turned stony. "You're wanted for racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder, and murder."

"Based on?" Inuyasha glared at the man when he remained tight-lipped. "All evidence is due to be presented to the prosecutor within forty-eight hours of my detention, and I'm going to be there when it is, so you might as well save me some time and tell me now."

"A DNA match—"

"What?" Inuyasha snapped. "That match was contaminated and its validity is compromised—"

"— amongst other compelling evidence. I'm sorry, Inspector Takado, but I've already said too much. Just come with us quietly to the station." He reached for Inuyasha's arm and Inuyasha twisted out of his grip, baring his fangs menacingly.

"Don't touch me!" he hissed.

Inuyasha looked at his mother and quickly hugged her. "It's just a misunderstanding. Don't worry."

Before Izayoi could say anything, Inuyasha pushed past the two and stormed towards the patrol car, slamming it shut behind him. Izayoi held onto the side of the door tightly, her brow furrowed anxiously as she watched her son escorted away in the back of the car, sirens blaring. She shut the door behind her and ran into the house picking up a phone, hands trembling as she frantically dialed.


	25. Chapter 25

_Last Time…_

_The officer's face turned stony. "You're wanted for racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder, and murder."_

_"Based on?" Inuyasha glared at the man when he remained tight-lipped. "All evidence is due to be presented to the prosecutor within forty-eight hours of my detention, and I'm going to be there when it is, so you might as well save me some time and tell me now."_

_"A DNA match—"_

_"What?" Inuyasha snapped. "That match was contaminated and its validity is compromised—"_

_"— amongst other compelling evidence. I'm sorry, Inspector Takado, but I've already said too much. Just come with us quietly to the station." He reached for Inuyasha's arm and Inuyasha twisted out of his grip, baring his fangs menacingly._

_"Don't touch me!" he hissed._

_Inuyasha looked at his mother and quickly hugged her. "It's just a misunderstanding. Don't worry."_

_Before Izayoi could say anything, Inuyasha pushed past the two and stormed towards the patrol car, slamming it shut behind him. Izayoi held onto the side of the door tightly, her brow furrowed anxiously as she watched her son escorted away in the back of the car, sirens blaring. She shut the door behind her and ran into the house picking up a phone, hands trembling as she frantically dialed._

* * *

Kagome raced over to the station after hearing Izayoi's frenzied explanation over the phone. She had done her best to console the older woman and assured her that the whole situation would be straightened out as soon as possible. When she parked, she noted that Kouga's car was already in the lot and she hoped that it was a good sign. Kagome rushed into the elevator, repeatedly pressing the button to take her to Kouga's floor, earning strange looks from the other people with her.

As soon as the doors began to pull apart, she squeezed through before they were completely open, dashing down the hall to the bullpen where Kouga's desk was. She found him in a heated discussion with several of his co-workers and stood apart from them, trying to catch her breath.

"Kouga," she said breathlessly.

Kouga broke apart from his conversation with the other inspectors to glance at Kagome in surprise. He excused himself and gently took her away, his hand at the small of her back.

"Kagome? What are you doing here?"

Kagome spoke quickly, the words tumbling out in a panic. "I was getting the boxes at the supermarket and then I got a phone call from Izayoi and she was _hysterical_. She was talking about Inuyasha being arrested while he was having lunch with her and something to do with _murder_? Tell me she was horribly mistaken!"

Hunching down to rub her shoulders soothingly, Kouga said quietly, "Kagome, calm down."

"I can't calm down! Not until you tell me what the hell is going on!"

"Inuyasha _was_ arrested—"

" _What?_ " she hissed.

"— I don't know the specifics. The word is, there seems to be overwhelming evidence and the superintendent couldn't overlook it. He brought Inuyasha in as procedure called for. Look, I'm sure that this whole mess will be sorted out soon enough. You need to see it from the other point of view. It would have looked bad on the whole department if news got out about the evidence and it got swept under the rug. The whole department would be labeled as corrupt as the shitheads we're trying to get off of the force."

Kagome nodded erratically. "I understand," she said anxiously. She blinked rapidly as she tried to clear her thoughts, the gesture empty as a million things continued to race through her mind. "It just doesn't make any _sense_ ," she gasped. "Where did this come from?"

Kouga frowned. "Look, before your father's death… there was some strange test results from that nightclub incident a few months ago. Inuyasha was trying to get it cleared."

"Strange test results? What kind of results?"

"A partial DNA match between his profile on record—"

Kagome stiffened and her eyes widened impossibly. "To who? The youkai that attacked you? Killed that other inspector? There's no way!" she said vehemently.

Kouga's face was grim and he spoke lowly. "I saw the lab results myself."

"You two were covered in blood. It probably just got mixed up. This is an idiotic misunderstanding." Kagome was rambling under her breath and Kouga had to shake her lightly to bring her out of her stupor. He recognized the stubborn gleam in her eye and felt a foreboding knot twist in his stomach.

Kouga nodded. "That's what we thought. That's why Inuyasha submitted another, fresh sample of his blood that had no way of being contaminated. Miroku drew it himself. He and I thought it would clear him, but… well I don't know all of the details, but it's not looking good."

Kagome scoffed. "This is ridiculous. Circumstantial evidence at best. There's no way Inuyasha could have had any part in that. Kouga, you have to tell them!"

"That's why I'm here, Kagome!"

"This can't be happening… Where is he?"

Staring at her with an inscrutable expression on his face, he finally told her, "He's in an interrogation room."

"Interrogation room…" Kagome repeated numbly.

"You can't see him."

Kagome stared up at Kouga, puzzled. "I didn't think I could. I'm not his counsel. I'm assuming that he's being kept sequestered. But…"

Kouga sighed. "He's okay. Just sitting there, brooding." He added with what he hoped was a reassuring smile, "Doing what he does best."

The small attempt at a joke managed to bring a small smile to Kagome's face. She relaxed slightly and Kouga used the opportunity to pull her into his arms, squeezing her tightly. Kagome allowed it but broke away from him after a short while, letting him know that all was not well between the two of them and that they still had issues to sort out. Kagome felt guilt rise up at the dejected pout on Kouga's face, but she didn't address it except with a reassuring squeezing of his hand. His expression lightened immediately.

"So what's happening now?" she asked gently.

"It's just a waiting game for now. Inuyasha… he's at the mercy of the law at this point. He hasn't asked for a lawyer and they're going to start initial questioning soon. Evidence will be presented to the prosecutor at his earliest convenience and if he agrees there's a case, it'll be sent to a judge to obtain a formal warrant of detention."

"The next forty-eight hours are the breaking point for whether there's a case against Inuyasha, then. It could be dropped if either the prosecutor or judge believes the evidence is insufficient." Kagome scoffed in disbelief. "There's really nothing to be done to stop this nonsense before it gets too far? Honestly, what a waste of time and energy on false claims."

"I hate to say it, but if the time was taken to arrest Inuyasha, then I don't think the evidence is weak. Especially if the Superintendent signed off on it."

Narrowing her eyes at Kouga, Kagome bit out, "Not helping." She began to pace in a small circle. "Has he asked for a lawyer yet?"

"You know how he is," Kouga deadpanned.

Kagome's nostrils flared and she growled under her breath. "Stubborn jerk," she muttered. "I'll make a few calls. I know plenty of top tier defense lawyers. I'll have to treat them out to the dinner of a lifetime to deal with Inuyasha, but they'll help—"

" _Don't fucking touch me!_ "

Everyone's heads snapped to the snarling hanyou who was being led away in handcuffs and had two officers gripping his upper arms as they forced him to walk. Inuyasha was emitting a deep, feral growl and was thrashing within their hands but the officers handling him were specifically chosen youkai. Still, they struggled to keep him restrained and one of them ended up being flung and slamming into the wall. Another youkai rushed from his desk to tackle Inuyasha to the floor, holding his head down while the other youkai held down his arms.

" _Let. Me. Go!_ "

Kagome watched the scene unfold, abject horror clear on her face. She ran towards the group of shouting men, the breath being knocked out of her when a hard force hit her abdomen. Her eyes watering, she looked down and saw Kouga's forearm braced against her as he pulled her back.

"What are you doing?!" she wheezed desperately. "They're hurting him!"

"I'm not going to let you get into that mess and get hurt!" Kouga roared, dragging her back and holding her away, his hands on her shoulders to keep her immobile.

Unconsciously mimicking Inuyasha, Kagome struggled against his hold and pleaded, "Let me go! Kouga, damn it! I swear if you don't let me go, I will _never_ forgive you!"

"I won't let you get hurt!"

"Then stop them!"

Kouga stiffened and clenched his jaw.

"Kouga!"

"I can't."

"Can't or _won't_?"

" _Kagome_!"

The forcefulness with which Kouga called her name caused Kagome to instantly stop struggling against him and she stared up at Kouga, her nostrils flared and cheeks pink from her heightened emotion. Kouga saw the clear fear and distress in her eyes and released the grip he had on her shoulders to take her wrists and hold them in between them.

"Kouga…"

"You're right. He's my partner. I'm not going to let anything happen to him. Look, I'm going to go over there and try and diffuse the situation but I need to know that you're going to stay here."

Kagome's lips twitched as if she wanted to protest but instead, she pressed them into a hard line and nodded abruptly.

' _Kouga's loyal to a fault,'_ she reminded herself.

Kouga felt the faintest pressure against his hands before she let go and he hesitated for a moment before turning away. Kagome watched him run towards the struggle and yell at the other youkai officers before pushing them aside and pulling Inuyasha to his feet.

Kagome was hugging herself as she watched Kouga escort Inuyasha to wherever they were taking them, a physical barrier between Inuyasha and the other officers. The other youkai had sour expressions on their face, the one Inuyasha flung to the wall rubbing the back of his neck agitatedly as he sent a heated glare to the back of the hanyou's head.

"You're Inuyasha's girl?"

Kagome flinched and turned with a start to stare at the woman who came up from behind her. She shook her head mutely, staring at the woman with perfectly painted red lips and glossy dark hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail.

The woman quirked a brow before understanding dawned on her expression. "You're Kayasaki's wife," she said. "My bad. I recognize you from the photo he keeps on his desk. Your wedding dress was beautiful," she added.

Blinking at the turn of conversation topics, Kagome inclined her head and gave her a small smile. "Thank you… I'm Kagome."

"Inspector Mizuki," the other woman said with a friendly grin. "C'mon. It won't do you any good to worry out here. I'll get you some really shitty coffee to sip on while we wait."

Kagome laughed and followed after Mizuki, graciously accepting the paper cup filled with bitter smelling coffee before taking the seat by Mizuki's desk. She took a sip and felt her face scrunch up instantly.

"Oh," Kagome gulped, "That's… bracing."

"I warned you," Mizuki teased spritely.

Lowering the coffee and wrapping her fingers around it protectively, electing to seek the warmth from inside the paper cup instead of the caffeine, Kagome sighed heavily, and Mizuki frowned in sympathy. Kagome's eyes roved from the hallway where Kouga and Inuyasha disappeared to Mizuki's desktop. She smiled tenderly at the photograph the woman kept amongst all of the paperwork and files.

"That's a great picture of you and your parents," she commented, nodding towards the weathered photo of a young girl grinning between her parents. Mizuki's long, dark hair was wild as it tumbled down her back except for a tuft that was tied to the side of her head. She was recognizable by the shape of her deep eyes and impishness of her grin.

Mizuki turned her brown eyes to the photo in question, her posture stiffening slightly. She offered a tight smile as she explained, "It was my last birthday with my parents before they died."

Kagome's face blanched and she rushed to apologize, "I'm so sorry, Mizuki-san, I didn't mean to—"

"Please don't, Kagome. And no need to apologize. From what I know, you understand what it's like."

"You were so young," Kagome said quietly while her gaze was trained on the photo.

"I was nine when they passed."

"If you don't mind my asking, how?"

Mizuki's eyes took on a haunted shadow and she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "They were murdered. It was a mugging gone wrong. They were just out doing some last minute shopping that night… they wanted to surprise me with a birthday gift. It was really cold so they had me stay at the neighbor's. I waited for them to come home and pick me up, but they never did."

"Mizuki-san, I'm so sorry," Kagome said earnestly. She reached out and took the woman's hands in hers, clasping them tightly.

"It was a long time ago," Mizuki said with a thick voice, missing the usual bravado in her tone.

Kagome cocked her head to the side. "It still hurts though," she said knowingly, her own voice tinged with sadness. "It explains a few things."

"What?" Mizuki asked defensively, her brown eyes narrowing into a guarded glare. Her fingers twitched beneath Kagome's grasp.

"You look so young. You must have worked extremely hard to get to your position. I'm sure your parents are very proud of you."

Mizuki's expression softened as she stared at Kagome, her mouth agape, before nodding and giving Kagome a watery smile. "Thanks, Kagome." She turned away and blinked rapidly against the layer of water forming in her eyes. "Oh no," she said with a breathy laugh. "I have a reputation for being a bit of a hardass. I can't let anyone see me cry."

Kagome smiled but said nothing, as she released Mizuki's hands. "How bad is it?" she asked solemnly.

Frowning deeply so that a crease formed between her eyebrows, Mizuki pressed her lips together. "It's not good," she said. "DNA match came back between the sample Inuyasha submitted and the evidence turned in a few months ago from that nightclub explosion."

With an angry huff, Kagome shook her head dismissively. "They were brawling, there's bound to be cross-contamination."

"That's why Inuyasha's submission was so compelling. It also distantly matched the DNA of the inuyoukai who first attacked your father nearly a year ago," Mizuki said slowly.

"I mean… but aren't all inuyoukai related? By common sense I mean, I hate to get philosophical, but they all had to come from somewhere so—"

"Kagome." Mizuki twisted her face as she considered how to tell Kagome. "Yes, but the match was more than sharing a common ancestor. According to the lab, the amount of matching DNA markers signifies that maybe Inuyasha and the perpetrators were cousins or something of the sort."

Kagome narrowed her eyes at the news. Before she could protest, Mizuki added, "And there's eyewitness testimony of Inuyasha hanging around some… suspicious characters since his arrival back in Tokyo last year. In fact, his abrupt return to the country since he left for America is shrouded in suspicion."

"What? Like Inuyasha was running some sort of crime syndicate and finally came to head it in Japan?"

Mizuki's silence turned Kagome's blood into ice.

"Inspector Mizuki," Kagome urged with a hard edge to her tone.

"It looks like that's what the prosecutor might be going for," she said softly.

"That's bullshit," Kagome hissed.

"What is?"

Kagome and Mizuki saw Kouga walk towards them wearily. Kagome immediately shot out of her seat and rushed towards him, only to be gently pushed back into her chair by Kouga. He scrubbed his face before he crouched down before her.

"He's fine," he said, knowing she would be on edge until he told her so. Kagome remained tense as she waited for more information, however. "It's the first round of evidence presentation. He's with the prosecutor right now."

"Let me guess, he still hasn't asked for a lawyer?" Inspector Mizuki drawled.

Kouga jerked his head once and Kagome groaned, cradling her face in her hands as she leaned forward onto her knees. "Of course not," Kouga grunted.

"Stubborn idiot," Kagome hissed under her breath. She sighed and leaned back in her chair. "I'll make some calls. Find some old friends from law school and call in a few favors."

"You're a lawyer?" Mizuki asked.

Kagome pursed her lips. "Corporate, mostly. I handle mergers, business contracts, mediations. But my father was a private practice attorney. A damn good one, too," she said glumly. "Maybe someone from his firm can help… he headed one of the best firms in the city."

"Try the whole region," Mizuki said. "Sadao Higurashi… wow. "

"Mizuki," Kouga said brusquely.

"Sorry," she said in response to Kouga's censure with an uncharacteristically bashful smile that showcased her true age.

"It's fine," Kagome said reassuringly. "Could I step in as counsel temporarily until he asks for one or I get one for him?"

"Can you?"

Kagome smiled wryly at Mizuki. "In order pass the bar, I need to show competence of constitutional law, civil law, commercial law, domestic, international, public, _and_ criminal law. I might focus on corporate law but I can still get Inuyasha through the first round of evidence presentation."

"Get him through?"

"She means, get him to keep his mouth shut long enough so he doesn't get himself into deeper shit." Kouga huffed. "It's fine with me. There's just one person you'll need to convince."

Her eyebrows drawing together in confusion, Kagome cocked her head in confusion.

"The asshole himself," Kouga clarified.

Kagome smiled as she sighed tiredly. "Let me worry about him. You've got the harder job— you need to find out who's framing Inuyasha."

With a look of disbelief, Kouga countered, "I still think you have the more difficult task at hand, Kagome."

"Oh you with little faith in me," Kagome said lightly, though she was visibly tense, her honey eyes tight as they stared down the hallway where Inuyasha was being held. "Which room?"

"The one at the end of the hall to the right. You'll hear him before you get there."

Kagome nodded and forced cheerfulness into her words as she chirped, "Wish me luck."

Inspector Mizuko smiled vaguely. "Good luck, Kagome. You're going to need it."

Kagome's face fell at the other woman's words but Kouga added, "Mizuki's right. Dealing with Inuyasha requires the patience of a saint and you're the closest thing we've got. Just… be quick about it, okay?"

Without giving him a clear response, Kagome nodded and turned on her heel towards the hall where she had seen him and other officers escort Inuyasha. Kouga was right. She didn't need to know which room he was in. Inuyasha was announcing it himself. A dreadful groan leaving her lips, Kagome rushed to the door.

"This is fucking bullshit! I'm an inspector. There's _no_ way I'd have anything to do with the syndicate that's killed men that I've worked with! "

"Please, Inspector Takado. Calm down."

"Don't tell me to fucking calm down!"

"Takado-san, you would do well to listen to the prosecutor," Kagome said curtly as she breezed into the room and stood next to his chair, staring down at the bespectacled man sitting behind the desk riddled with photos and labeled evidence bags.

"Kagome, what the hell do you—"

Swiftly holding up a hand to silence Inuyasha, Kagome otherwise ignored him as she ordered, "I suggest you listen to me and remain quiet for the duration of the evidence presentation. I'd like to know for myself exactly what kind of evidence the prosecution believes is so compelling as to arrest and detain an esteemed member of the Tokyo police force with such grievous charges."

The prosecutor raised his eyebrows at Kagome, staring at her thoughtfully before asking disinterestedly, "And who are you, miss?"

Kagome's eyes flashed with determination before she straightened her back and stood tall, staring down the line of her nose to make eye contact with the prosecutor. "Kagome Higurashi and as of now, I'm Inspector Takado's acting counsel until we come to a time he deems me unfit to act in such a position."

His brow furrowed and he leaned back in his chair, glancing at Inuyasha. "You've been waiving your rights to legal counsel since your detainment. Does her sudden appearance mean a change of heart? Do you wish for Higurashi-san to act on your behalf as your counsel for the following proceedings, Takado-san?"

Inuyasha looked up at Kagome as she turned to meet his eyes, a small flicker of doubt coming to life in her features. He glared back at the prosecutor.

"I trust Higurashi-san implicitly."

Inuyasha could feel Kagome relax next to him and fought not to look at her, continuing his staring match with the steel-faced prosecutor. The man pursed his lips in a clear expression of his dissatisfaction and nodded in understanding.

"Very well. Let's begin."


	26. Chapter 26

_Last Time…_

_The prosecutor's brow furrowed and he leaned back in his chair, glancing at Inuyasha. "You've been waiving your rights to legal counsel since your detainment. Does her sudden appearance mean a change of heart? Do you wish for Higurashi-san to act on your behalf as your counsel for the following proceedings, Takado-san?"_

_Inuyasha looked up at Kagome as she turned to meet his eyes, a small flicker of doubt coming to life in her features. He glared back at the prosecutor._

" _I trust Higurashi-san implicitly."_

_Inuyasha could feel Kagome relax next to him and fought not to look at her, continuing his staring match with the steel-faced prosecutor. The man pursed his lips in a clear expression of his dissatisfaction and nodded in understanding._

" _Very well. Let's begin."_

* * *

Kagome shifted her weight slightly, angling herself so that the prosecutor could not see Inuyasha behind her. She crossed her arms and stared down at him sternly. She held a hand out expectantly and arched a brow at him. He looked at her quizzically and she sighed.

"First piece of evidence, please," she said shortly.

The prosecutor was slow moving and Kagome knew he was purposefully taking his time in browsing through the files and evidence bags to irk her. The air whistled through her teeth as she huffed in annoyance.

"Sir, we're both fully capable and competent in doing our jobs and are also grown adults, so I'd appreciate if you didn't treat me like an insolent child and like your equal adversary instead."

"Adversary, am I? Are we meant to go to war?" he asked dryly.

Kagome narrowed her eyes at him. "If your aim is to convict my client, as I'm sure it is, and mine is to protect him to the fullest extent of the law, then yes, you _are my adversary_..." Kagome's brow furrowed. "You never introduced yourself."

Inuyasha smirked as he watched the proceedings of the evidence presentation unfold before him. As much as Kagome thought he was being an asshole right now, the prosecutor was much worse before she entered the room. Still, it filled him with a significant sense of pride to see her so comfortable and in her element.

The prosecutor sighed and pulled out a handkerchief to dab at the nonexistent sweat on his brow and Inuyasha scoffed. Kagome turned over to look at him in what appeared to be a reprimand but instead, as Inuyasha met her gaze, he saw how she hid her emerging smile and gave a quick roll of her eyes.

"Yes, well I am Ren Maeda. As it says on my diploma upon graduating from Kyoto University," he said with over exaggerated nonchalance.

"Very well, Maeda-san. Now as a colleague, I ask that you stop peacocking and get on with the business we have to conduct today." Kagome smiled sweetly. "That's what I learned while attending the University of Tokyo for _my_ degree."

Unable to stop himself, Inuyasha let out a loud guffaw, feeling no remorse nor attempting to hide his glee when Maeda glared at him around Kagome. Inuyasha didn't bother stifling his amusement and met his gaze with an indulgent grin. Maeda huffed before addressing Kagome again.

"Right. Well, if you would take a seat next to Inspector Takado, we can begin to look over the compelling evidence that supplied enough cause to acquire a warrant for his arrest," he said coolly.

"Gladly," Kagome quipped before gracefully seating herself in the seat next to Inuyasha. She had a sweet smile again and continued, "On behalf of Inspector Takado, I'd like to apologize for the rudeness he displayed before my arrival. As you can expect this is a highly stressful situation, and I know that he's merely feeling distressed—"

"The hell I— _ow_!" Inuyasha clumsily jerked his arm away from Kagome, muttering under his breath about how sharp her nails were and rubbing the underside of his upper arm where she had pinched him.

Kagome continued as if Inuyasha hadn't interrupted her. "— at the circumstances. You have to understand, he's usually on the other side of the investigation."

Maeda blinked before furrowing his brow. "I suppose," he allowed. He sighed and clasped his fingers on the desk's surface. "I have to be very honest and tell you the evidence against you doesn't do much for your case. It's pretty clear cut."

"Make it clearer. Show it to us, Maeda-san," Kagome said, though to her credit, she lost the cheeky tone to her voice was unerringly professional.

He sighed again and handed over several files. Kagome's deft fingers flipped through the files quickly, her mouth pressed into a grim line. She slammed the files down and Inuyasha's ears twitched as he kept his gaze trained on them.

"Those don't prove anything."

" _Those_ are just the tip of the iceberg, I assure you." He gestured to another folder. "Aside from the numerous photos and accounts of sightings of Inspector Takado in areas of Tokyo known for their affiliation with several yakuza sects, there is also the DNA evidence linking him both to the case of the initial inuyoukai attack on Sadao Higurashi and the attack in Kabukicho as well as the murder of Sadao Higurashi."

Inuyasha's claws gouged the wood on the underside of his seat since his hands were still shackled and he could only let them rest between his legs. But hearing the prosecutor speak of the inuyoukai syndicate's attacks and the visible reaction Kagome had hearing of her father's attack and murder filled Inuyasha with a fierce need to shut him up. He gripped the edge of his seat even more tightly before he spoke.

"She knows, okay?" he snapped.

"Does she, Inspector Takado? These are grievous events and that's why any hint of your involvement is highly suspicious."

"I'm well aware of the rise of the inuyoukai syndicate's activity in Tokyo," Kagome interjected tightly.

Maeda eyed her speculatively before his eyebrows rose to nearly his hairline in sudden realization. "…Higurashi? You mean Sadao Higurashi was—"

"I am Sadao Higurashi's daughter," Kagome said proudly. "And I know without a shadow of a doubt that Inspector Takado could not have been responsible for any attack towards my father," she said, her voice trembling with emotion, though she hoped it wouldn't be misconstrued for doubt or fear.

"I can't, with good conscience, allow you to be involved in these proceedings since they are so closely related to you on a personal level."

"Keh! 'Good conscience' is a relative term," Inuyasha hissed.

Inuyasha settled down slightly when Kagome placed a placating hand on his shoulder for just a moment while she leveled her gaze at Maeda.

"By being here and becoming privy to the evidence in the yet-to-be-determined case against Inspector Takado, I've already invoked attorney-client privileges and there is nothing in the law to stop me from acting as his counsel for this duration of time until Inspector Takado dismisses me."

At Maeda's expression of indecision, Kagome added, "If it worries you that much, you can take the situation to a judge concerning my involvement, but doing so would only force an indefinite hiatus to this current investigation."

Maeda waved a hand dismissively. "There'll be no need for that. I _do_ need to clarify one thing though— for the record, you and Inspector Takado are not involved in a romantic or sexual relationship, are you?"

Inuyasha couldn't fight the blush that crept up onto his cheeks, nor could Kagome. But she shook her head.

"No, Inspector Takado and I are not involved in a relationship of that nature. I'm married. I'm acting as his counsel purely because I believe the allegations against him are largely unfounded."

Inuyasha shifted in his seat slightly and tried to ignore the way her dismissal stole the air from his lungs, and not in the pleasant way Kagome usually did so. He glared resolutely at his cuffed hands. "Can we just get on with it?" he asked gruffly.

Kagome eyed him before nodding and turned back to Maeda. "Moving back to the topic at hand…" she prodded. "All of this still means nothing."

Maeda scoffed. "Nothing?" he echoed. He smiled exasperatedly, no humor showing in his expression. "Higurashi-san, I wouldn't have wasted my time to get a warrant for Inspector Takado's arrest and everyone else's time coming down to the station to set up and go through this evidence presentation."

Picking up the files and perusing them again, Kagome shook her head almost apologetically. "I'm afraid you did. Like I said, the testimony of him hanging in known yakuza areas is circumstantial with your key witnesses being members of those organizations and eager to implicate a member of the Tokyo force working against them. Also, Inuyasha's within his jurisdiction to act in plainclothes for an investigation or to communicate with criminal informants in order to protect their integrity and maintain the pipeline of information."

"It still calls for more investigation and validation."

"You're right." Kagome inclined her head at him. "But not an arrest and certainly not a conviction."

"Don't ignore the DNA evidence, Higurashi-san."

"The DNA evidence? You have a _partial_ match. And it's well documented that the partial matches that Inuyasha's DNA provided occurred from blood obtained during a brawl. There's obviously going to be contamination."

Maeda raised a brow when Kagome used Inuyasha's name instead of his more formal title of Inspector Takado. "The blood collected from Inspector Takado's claws, which he himself admitted was gathered from a direct blow with the assailant and suspect in the Kabukicho incident, also provided a match."

"He was covered in blood, there's no way to rule out contamination," Kagome insisted. "In any case, there's reasonable doubt in the prosecution's complaints against Inspector Takado and I'm asking that the current charges be dropped against him because I'm confident that this case wouldn't hold up in front of the judge and wouldn't make it to a formal trial."

Inuyasha watched Maeda's expression carefully as the prosecutor weighed his options. From experience, he knew the conviction rate was ridiculously high due not only to the prosecution's skill, but their selectivity in proceeding with cases that they knew were guaranteed to end in their favor. His ears, he knew, were twitching restlessly as his agitation grew from waiting for Maeda's response.

"You've made your point. In the case of reasonable doubt, it seems that more evidence will have to be obtained to proceed before a judge." Maeda cut in as he saw Kagome's lips curve into a self-satisfied smile. "However, Inspector Takado will be unable to return to duty and he must surrender his weapon and badge for the meantime."

"Why?" Kagome demanded. "He no longer has charges against him."

"But he's not cleared. Until we get definitive proof that Inspector Takado is either involved or innocent, he cannot be put back on active duty. Unless he wants to remain under detainment, he needs to surrender his weapon and badge."

"Quit talking about me like I'm not in the damn room," Inuyasha growled.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said sharply. She sighed through her nose and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Fine," she mumbled.

"What?" Inuyasha said in outrage. "Kagome—"

"You're not suspended. Just pulled from active duty. It's better than being kept in a cell while we wait for more evidence to come up," she said in a soothing tone.

His face grim and golden eyes hardened into a glare aimed at Maeda, Inuyasha grit his teeth and settled back against his chair in fuming reluctance.

"I believe his weapon was already surrendered upon his arrest. His badge will be given to his Superintendent once we finish up."

Maeda jerked his head in an abrupt nod while he stood and bowed before them before hurriedly collecting his evidence.

"I'd like my own copy of all of the evidence presented today for my records," Kagome said pointedly.

Freezing, Maeda replied tersely, "Yes, of course."

"Thank you," Kagome said pleasantly.

"This will be faxed over to your office."

"I haven't given you my number."

"I'm sure we can locate the office of Sadao Higurashi's daughter." Maeda hesitated before exiting. "I am very sorry for your loss, Higurashi-san. Your father was a great man and was an inspiration for his accomplishments."

Kagome stared at him for a long while before nodding back at him. Maeda then left the room and Kagome sighed as she slumped in her chair and hung her head over the back of her chair, staring at the ceiling.

"I certainly didn't expect that to work…"

"You did great," Inuyasha mumbled.

"I really need to make some calls. Get you a _real_ defense lawyer."

"I don't want another one." The obstinate edge to his voice caused Kagome to groan in fatigue.

"Inuyasha—"

"I don't trust anyone else."

"Even if I trust them?"

Inuyasha considered her and Kagome almost felt hopeful before he shook his head and she rolled her eyes. She eyed his shackled wrists and frowned before reaching out to grab one of them.

"Let's get you out of these," she said.

"Keh! Don't worry your pretty little head." Inuyasha yanked his forearms apart and the steel handcuffs snapped as if they were plastic. "They didn't think that through."

"You could've broken out this whole time?"

"I'm not guilty— no reason to give them a reason to treat me like I am. See? I can cooperate."

Kagome smiled dryly. "Just barely," she said softly. Her smile fell and a crease appeared between her brows, her eyes becoming heavy with worry. "Inuyasha, I don't think I'm up to the task of representing you well."

"Kagome, you're the best person to represent me." Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest and huffed. "But listen, think about it at least. If you still don't feel comfortable, then I'll trust whoever you send."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Kagome warned.

"You wouldn't be you if you didn't," Inuyasha rejoined, a touch of fondness in his tone.

He stood and stretched his arms over his head, groaning as his muscles lengthened and his joints popped. Inuyasha raised his eyebrows when he felt Kagome's concerned gaze on him. He rolled his eyes and planted his hands on his hips as he directed his glare at her.

"Well don't fucking chew it to death."

Narrowing her eyes at him, she sighed and shook her head. "Are you okay?"

"Fucking peachy."

"Inuyasha."

"What the hell do you want me to say, Kagome? I'm under suspicion for being one of the scumbags I've been working to put away. For orchestrating and taking part in events that have killed some of the guys I see on an almost daily basis. That they consider me a suspect in the murder of _your father_?" Inuyasha abruptly turned away and murmured something quietly.

"What?"

"You know that I... I didn't—"

Kagome stood hastily, the harsh sound of her chair screeching against the floor from her movement grating on Inuyasha's ears. She pulled him roughly, trying to get him to budge and turn to face her before huffing and stepping in front of him since trying to move Inuyasha was as effective as trying to move granite.

"Inuyasha Takado don't you _ever_ say anything like that!"

"I _didn't_ say anything," he grumbled.

" _Yet_! I know how your mind works. I know that you wouldn't ever hurt anyone like that."

Inuyasha stared at her, his face carefully impassive. He reached out to take a long strand of her inky hair between his fingers, letting the silky strand slip through his fingers.

"Inuyasha?"

"How are you so sure?"

His voice was so quiet Kagome couldn't be sure that he actually spoke. She shook her head at him and grabbed the wrist of the hand playing with her hair.

"Because I know you and I trust you."

Inuyasha smirked sardonically. "Is that all?"

Kagome blinked at him in confusion. "I don't need any other validation."

She watched his jaw muscles tick as he clenched his teeth. The unspoken knowledge that Inuyasha could never hurt Kagome lingered between them. As they looked into each other's eyes and their heightened emotions leveled off, Kagome stepped back, returning to maintaining their self-imposed boundaries.

"You should go turn in your badge," she said quietly.

"Yeah," he said in an equally quiet voice, an inscrutable look still etched onto his face. Inuyasha cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. "Right. I'll go do that now."

Kagome gave him a supportive smile. "I'll see you back in the bullpen. I'll start making calls."

"Already trying to get rid of me?"

Grinning, she retorted, "I already know that you'll be my most difficult client. Just setting everything up for when I can't take it anymore."

Inuyasha made a face at her and tweaked the tip of her nose, causing Kagome to scrunch up her face in annoyance. He was quick to sail out of the room, calling over his shoulder, "Do me a favor and call my mom and tell her everything's okay and that I'll be over as soon as possible."

Still rubbing at her slightly pink nose, Kagome nodded. "She'll be my first call."

Inuyasha pulled up short when he wrenched the door open, coming nose-to-nose with Kouga. The two men reared back before Kouga cast a tense glance into the room.

"Everything okay?" he asked lowly.

"It's fine," Inuyasha said brusquely.

Kouga tossed a glare at his partner. "Ease up, mutt. I'm on your side."

"Ignore him, Kouga, you know how Inuyasha gets. Upon further discussion with the prosecutor over the evidence, I argued reasonable doubt and that the evidence was circumstantial. But—"

"I need to hand in my badge and I'm pulled from active duty," Inuyasha groused.

"At least you're not suspended, baka." Kouga rolled his eyes at the venomous look in Inuyasha's eyes. "Well am I wrong?"

Kagome sighed and grabbed Kouga's forearm, pulling him away from where he and Inuyasha snarled at each other. "Enough, you two. We've got a long enough road ahead of us without you two bickering like kids on a playground." She raised her eyebrows at Kouga before turning to Inuyasha. "Go see the Superintendent and go to your mother. She was hysterical when she called."

Inuyasha's shoulders immediately slumped and he frowned, his lower lip unconsciously jutting out in a pout. Kagome offered him a comforting smile. "It'll work out in the end, Inuyasha. Tell you what, you and Izayoi should come over for dinner."

Inuyasha eyed Kouga before shaking his head. "Thanks for the offer, Kagome, but I think the two of us are just going to stay in for the rest of the evening."

Kagome watched him finally leave and rounded on Kouga. "Well?"

"You tell me."

"Not the most ideal situation, but a hell of a lot better than the alternative." Kagome shook her head in disbelief. "That DNA evidence is _damning_ , Kouga, as much as I tried to play it down. The only reason the prosecutor accepted my arguments is because he doesn't want to make a mistake— especially against a Tokyo inspector."

Kouga crossed his arms and took a deep breath. "Well that should help, shouldn't it? That's he's a cop?"

"Also makes it worse if we can't figure out who's framing him." Kagome chewed on her bottom lip. "I've got to see all of the files connected to the inuyoukai attacks, any syndicate activity— even ones you think have nothing to do with this case. I'm a fresh pair of eyes and might be able to catch something that—"

"Kagome," Kouga cut in. "You're not his lawyer. Not for the whole duration."

Kagome blinked at the youkai. "I know. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to try to help. Even if I'm going to pass as lead counsel the case, I'm making sure I'm still part of the team. If anything were to happen and I didn't do the most in my power to stop it… Kouga, I couldn't… what a horrible friend…"

Kouga hugged her tightly. "Kagome, you're the furthest thing from a horrible friend." He let her go and gently carded his fingers through her thick hair. "I guess I'll bring it all home tonight so you can look it over."

"You won't look it over with me?"

"I… Kagome, I can't."

"You can't?" Kagome arched a brow at him. She opened her mouth but closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Because he's your partner and one of your best friends so you don't want the prosecution to claim that your involvement could involve faking evidence to clear him of the charges," she said dejectedly.

Kouga clenched his jaw and nodded woodenly.

"Alright, I understand. I don't want to put you in the same situation Inuyasha's in." Her expression turned distant as she entered deep thought. "In that case, I'll just take everything right now and make a copy to take home with me and get started right away. Are they reassigning your cases now?" she asked with concern.

"Superintendent's figuring it out right now. Also momentarily assigned to work with Inspector Mizuki."

Kagome smiled. "I like her," she said encouragingly. "Kouga, you won't come home too late, will you? Technically it still is your day off."

Kouga couldn't help but feel a warmth in his chest at her worry and struggled to snuff it out. "I won't be here too long."

"Okay, good."

"Wait!" Kouga grabbed her as she was turning to leave. "I think— _no_ , I really need to talk to you and it can't wait until later."

Kagome's face fell in recognition and she sighed and sank back into a chair, smiling ruefully at him. "I suppose we shouldn't put that off much longer," she sighed.

"Just be honest with me."

"When have I ever lied to you?"

Kouga blushed, feeling like a scolded school boy and had to admit that Kagome had never, in the whole history of their marriage and preceding relationship and friendship, lied to him. "Bear with me," he said with mustered brevity.

Waiting patiently, Kagome settled into the chair and watched him expectantly.

"Did Inuyasha spend the night at the shrine last night?"

An eyebrow quirked up, but she nodded. "Yes. It wasn't intended… but it got late without either of us knowing and it made no sense for him to go to his apartment so late at night."

She said it so nonchalantly as if it were the most natural thing in the world for her and Inuyasha to be up all night talking, it almost made Kouga feel foolish for feeling guilty for asking accusingly. His dark eyebrows knit together as he leaned against the desk and crossed his arms.

"Were you going to tell me?"

Tilting her head as she cast a measured glance at him, Kagome shrugged. "If you asked, like just now, I would've told you, like I have. But honestly, I wouldn't have thought it something worth telling you. Is there something so compelling about me talking to a friend?"

Unable to bite back his words, Kouga snapped, "Yes, there is, when this friend is an ex-boyfriend."

Kagome's eyes grew large. "Where is _that_ coming from?"

"Weeks with me and nothing but some zombie woman as my wife and _one fucking night_ with him and you're back to normal?" he snarled.

"Don't talk to me like that," Kagome warned. "Don't you dare."

"What?" he challenged.

"Don't blame our problems on _him_!" Kagome yelled. "Literally, his entire life has been _nothing_ but being blamed for things out of his control."

"He's a grown man and he can defend himself," he spat acerbically.

With a disbelieving gasp, she demanded, "Why are you being so spiteful?"

Kouga towered over her, his expression dark. "Because my wife is in love with another man!"


	27. Chapter 27

_Last Time…_

_She said it so nonchalantly as if it were the most natural thing in the world for her and Inuyasha to be up all night talking, it almost made Kouga feel foolish for feeling guilty to be asking accusingly. His dark eyebrows knit together as he leaned against the desk and crossed his arms._

_"Were you going to tell me?"_

_Tilting her head as she cast a measured glance at him, Kagome shrugged. "If you asked, like just now, I would've told you, like I have. But honestly, I wouldn't have thought it something worth telling you. Is there something so compelling about me talking to a friend?"_

_Unable to bite back his words, Kouga snapped, "Yes, there is, when this friend is an ex-boyfriend."_

_Kagome's eyes grew large. "Where is_ _that_ _coming from?"_

_"Weeks with me and nothing but some zombie woman as my wife and_ _one fucking night_ _with him and you're back to normal?" he snarled._

_"Don't talk to me like that," Kagome warned. "Don't you dare."_

_"What?" he challenged._

_"Don't blame our problems on_ _him_ _!" Kagome yelled. "Literally, his entire life has been_ _nothing_ _but being blamed for things out of his control."_

_"He's a grown man and he can defend himself," he spat acerbically._

_With a disbelieving gasp, she demanded, "Why are you being so spiteful?"_

_Kouga towered over her, his expression dark. "Because my wife is in love with another man!"_

* * *

Kagome jolted back from him. Her honey brown eyes were wide and filled with disbelief as they stared at Kouga. She shook her head, her mouth agape but unable to form words from shock.

Slowly finding her voice, she began, "Kouga—"

"Don't lie to me," he grit out.

"We're back to that again?" Kagome leaned back in and yelled back, her voice becoming shrill. "Enlighten me, when have I lied to you? Give me _one_ instance because there is absolutely _no_ reason for you to have just _destroyed_ every ounce of trust in this marriage!"

"I'm not the one who did that," Kouga insisted. His icy eyes darted over to the door and Kagome followed his gaze warily.

Her lips pressed together tightly, she whispered harshly, "I'm not doing this with you here. If you want to cool down and discuss this at home, I'll be waiting, but I'm not having a shouting match with you here." After a breath, she added coolly, "No reason to make the both of us look bad."

Kouga's cheeks pinked slightly due to his rising temper, but he agreed grudgingly. "Fine."

"Fine."

"Kagome— if you see the mutt out there, tell him not to bother seeing me or I'll beat the crap out of him."

Kagome glared at Kouga. "I'm not playing the messenger between you two. You're a grown man. Find the self-control to not act like an overdramatic bully on a school playground. You want to be angry at someone? Be angry at me. Don't pin it on Inuyasha." She paused for a heartbeat before hissing, "If you really thought I was in love with him, maybe you shouldn't keep pushing me onto him when you don't know how to talk to me."

Kouga turned and slammed his hand against one of the chairs, sending it flying across the room and clattering noisily to the floor as a pile of mangled wood. He was breathing heavily, his shoulders rising and his neck corded from tension. "I'll see you at home," he said tersely.

Shaking her head, Kagome rushed out of the room and back to the bullpen to grab her coat and bag. She rushed towards the elevator bank when someone grabbed her around the shoulders. She immediately made to strike an arm out in defense, thinking it was Kouga manhandling her, but as the papers and photos fluttered around her while they fell, she only saw Inuyasha's concerned gaze.

"Inuyasha?" she asked quietly.

"You're not hurt, are you?" His eyes roamed over her quickly. "I heard the crash, but didn't know— I was— I wanted to— but –"

"It's okay," she said softly.

His eyes flashed and he shook his head. "No, it's not, Kagome. I ought to go give him a fucking piece of my mind."

"But you didn't." Kagome knelt down to pick up the scattered files. "And you _won't_ ," she added pointedly, "because that's the smart thing to do."

"I wanted to, though," he muttered as he dropped down as well to help her gather the papers. "Just wanted to make sure he didn't hurt you first."

"He wouldn't," she assured him.

"Are you sure you don't want me there when you get home?"

Kagome frowned. "I think that would just make the situation worse."

Inuyasha blinked at her. "Why? What do I have to do with it?"

Kagome's mouth dropped. He hadn't heard what caused the argument, only knew that they had one. Vaguely, she recognized that Inuyasha had spoken during her realization.

"If it's about you being my legal counsel and Kouga worried it might put you in danger, then I agree. Forget what I said earlier. I was just being an asshole. Kagome, I'll take whoever you send my way. I don't want you caught in the crossfire of someone trying to get to me."

She forced a smile. "Inuyasha—"

"As much as I don't want the asshole to blame me, I know that everything is my fault somehow. He's pissed off at me for a reason."

Kagome gripped his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "Whatever is going on between Kouga and me is purely between the two of us. Don't try and get sucked into our problems. And don't let Kouga try to pull you in, either. Marriages aren't easy and we're going through a rough patch." Kagome shrugged lamely.

"I still don't like what I heard," Inuyasha maintained.

"Let me deal with him." Kagome frowned. "Promise me you won't try to see him. He's in a foul mood. Just go see your mother and calm her down, okay? Let her know everything's fine and we'll figure it out."

"For now," Inuyasha grumbled.

"Stop having such a bad attitude," Kagome admonished.

"I mean it, Kagome. Call one of your friends and have them take the case. I don't want you suffering anymore because of me."

Kagome's brow furrowed and she stood, Inuyasha rising after her. "Suffering? Because of you?" Inuyasha kept his eyes trained on the floor between them. The silence thickened between the two of them and Kagome urged him, "Inuyasha?"

"Everything horrible in your life happened because _I_ was in your life to screw it up," he whispered darkly.

"Inuyasha, that's not true," Kagome immediately insisted.

Barking harshly with unkind laughter, Inuyasha retorted, "Isn't it?"

"It's not!"

"Name the worst three moments of your life."

"Don't do that to yourself," Kagome pleaded gently. "Association isn't causation."

Stepping back and pacing in a small circle, he retorted, "That one time, though."

Kagome chewed on her bottom lip worriedly, knowing he was speaking about their break-up. "We were barely nineteen years old and in way over our heads. Everything was more intense and I'm not trying to downplay our feelings or pain during that time, but we were kids! We're human. We hurt the people we love and don't know any better."

Inuyasha met her gaze, his golden eyes lit with unrestrained emotion. His lips parted without conscious consent when Kagome took his hand. "I'm only half-human, Kagome."

She shook her head. "You have a bigger heart than anyone else I know, human or not." Her voice trembled and she added quietly, "And you were the one at my side and giving me a reason to smile again during the _absolute_ worst moment of my life."

Inuyasha's mind flashed with the memory of Kagome clutching onto him as they knelt in the rain near the newly dug grave of Satori Higurashi. The recalled scent of mud and rain mingled with honey and peonies. Kagome's scent began to overpower the others and Inuyasha blinked, returning to the present, and finding her standing much closer to him than before.

"Please don't blame yourself. Even if it _was_ your fault, I'd still be here by your side and helping you every step of the way."

"Why?" Inuyasha found himself asking, the question falling from his lips. " _How_?"

Kagome offered a soft smile. "Because you're one of my best friends. And I know your heart and that you're a good person." Her smile widened. "Even if you don't want to admit it," she added in a sotto voice.

With a forlorn sigh, Inuyasha reluctantly removed his hand from hers and looked at her pointedly with concern clear in his eyes. "Look… when you're done, just come over to my mom's. Or call me and I'll come over. Whatever. I just want to know that you're okay."

"I promise."

Inuyasha's gaze roamed over her, taking in the sight of her and committing it to memory before suddenly pulling her into his chest, the span of his hand pushing between her shoulder blades to press her closer to him while he cradled his cheek on the crown of her head.

"One hair out of place, Kagome," he warned.

"You worry too much," she said dismissively. "Remember, he's your friend, too."

"Not if he hurts you," Inuyasha promised.

" _Please_." Kagome pulled away. "Get going. I've got to go, too." She glanced past him and down the hall where the bullpen was.

"I'm not going back in there," he said, answering her silent question. "Gonna use the rooftops to get back to Mom's place."

Kagome nodded mutely. "I need to go now, Inuyasha," though it sounded as if she were trying to convince herself.

"Take care," he said earnestly.

With a tired smile, Kagome turned and kept her eyes on the floor while she waited for an elevator to arrive. Inuyasha stared at her a moment longer before storming down the hall and throwing open the door leading to the emergency stairwell, rushing to the rooftop and bursting out into the calm, wintry air. The sky taunted him with how placid it appeared— bright blue and clear. Inuyasha growled and tore off, becoming nothing more than an imagined blur in the corner of any ordinary eye.

* * *

Kagome found herself in the same spot she had occupied since she decided to finally return to her own home the night before. Surrounded by different heap of boxes, she sat on the floor nestled by various files and reports. She pored over them with a meticulous eye, mumbling under her breath as she hastily jotted down notes.

After arriving at the empty house, Kagome similarly emptied her mind— or rather, attempted to while she busied her hands. As if she was on autopilot, she finished sorting through her father's belongings, everything arranged neatly in separate piles designated for safekeeping, donation, and trash. She was careful to think of items Souta would want to keep for himself, such as an old watch that Sadao had often worn in their childhood, and a baseball cap he wore on the rare occasion he spent time with him at the field near their home instead of at work.

Lifting her gaze from the evidence for the first time in what felt like hours, Kagome stared at the boxes that her father's life had been reduced to— a collection of categorized memories. Her chest tightened uncomfortably and she tore her eyes away to stare resolutely at the evidence again, sniffling quietly as a telltale stinging began in her eyes.

"You okay?"

Kagome jumped and hastily scrubbed at her eyes before rising to her feet, keeping her gaze downward as she brushed off imaginary dirt from her pants.

"I don't want to waste time with fake pleasantries and small talk like we're strangers, Kouga," she sniffed.

Kouga's prolonged silence caused Kagome to lift her eyes and she stiffened at the gleam in Kouga's eyes. "I care about you, Kagome. Nothing fake about that," he said stiffly.

He shuffled uncertainly in the doorway and Kagome sighed before collecting the evidence into their respective piles and boxes.

"Kouga," she said softly, "this is your home, too, and you shouldn't feel uncomfortable in it."

"I don't know… the past few months, it hasn't seemed like a home."

Stilling her hands, Kagome looked up at him and asked quietly, "Are you going to explode and yell at me again?"

Rubbing his face tiredly, Kouga sighed and continued to make small, agitated movements. "I'm trying not to," he said earnestly.

"Do you want to do this now or wait until you've cooled down completely?"

Kouga began to pace in aggravation. "How can you be so fucking calm right now?"

Kagome rose to her feet and stomped towards him, obstructing the path he had been wearing into the carpet. "You don't think I'm upset? Kouga, I'm _pissed_! My husband doesn't trust me or our best friend and can't understand that I am _still_ in pain over my father's death!"

She slammed her hands against his chest in an effort to push him away, but Kouga stood solidly and watched tears spill over her eyes and run down her cheeks. "And I'm sorry," she sobbed, "that I've been the worst wife."

Kouga's eyes widened and he grasped at her wrists as he processed her apology. "Kagome…"

"I _haven't_ been myself and I've been selfish in that respect. And I relied on you too much without letting you in, I know and I'm _sorry_." Kagome blinked up at him with bloodshot eyes. "You don't deserve to be taken for granted."

Kagome pulled away from Kouga and crossed to the other side of the room, gingerly running her fingers across the boxes with Sadao's belongings. "It's not fair to you," she whispered.

"What are you trying to say, Kagome?" Kouga asked, his voice edged with fear.

"You don't trust me." Kagome held up a hand to staunch Kouga's argument. "And… I don't know if I trust you anymore…"

Kouga felt like the wind was knocked out of him and he watched her knit her eyebrows together in concern while she watched him. His mouth became dry and his palms clammy. Kagome met his gaze with a mournful glaze to her eyes.

"You have been unbelievably kind and thoughtful," Kagome said thickly, her voice cracking with emotion. "But the way things have been after my father's death… Kouga something's not right. Before you think anything, I do _not_ blame you for his death. And I'm grateful for your help and support, but haven't you felt a weird distance? As much as I didn't _let_ you comfort me, Kouga, there was a part of you that didn't want to try to comfort me. You acted like a supportive friend. Not—"

"Now you're talking bullshit, Kagome," Kouga growled.

"Am I? You're the one sending Inuyasha to talk to me because you got tired of trying to do it yourself."

"You were so fucking _fragile_ I didn't want to make the situation worse!"

"You're my husband! You shouldn't have been able to make it worse!"

"Then why does it feel like I couldn't do anything right?" Kouga demanded.

Kagome flinched and let out a shuddering breath as a fresh stream of tears fell. "Because maybe we aren't what's best for each other."

As she spoke the words, a chill slipped down Kouga's spine and the sick feeling that had sprouted in the pit of his stomach from the beginning of their conversation spread throughout his whole body. He shook his head stubbornly, his hands clenching into fists. He grumbled under his breath and Kagome had to strain to make out what he was saying.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no."

Kouga grabbed at her shoulders and held tightly, causing Kagome to suck in air sharply when his claws pricked her skin.

"Kouga, you deserve better than some half-assed marriage. I love you, but I don't love you the way you _should_ be lo—" Kagome cried out in pain as he sunk his claws in deeper. "Kouga, that hurts!" she cried out.

"What the fuck did Inuyasha say to you? What did he do?"

"Inuyasha has nothing to do with this, Kouga. This is purely my decision. You have to be reasonable—"

"There's no _reasonable_ explanation for my wife of three years to suddenly want to call it quits! The only thing that's changed is the fact that that bastard who broke your heart suddenly came back. What the hell is wrong with you? Why would you want to go back to him?"

Struggling to get away from him, Kagome whimpered as his claws scraped against her skin. "I told you, this isn't about Inuyasha! I have no plans to get back with him!"

"Bullshit!"

"Why don't you believe me?" she demanded.

"Because I saw the way you looked at him five years ago and I see the way you look at him now!" Kouga bellowed, his voice ringing in Kagome's ears. "Do you really think I'm a fucking idiot?"

He let go of her shoulders and leaned down so that Kagome felt his hot breath over her face. She saw the cold fury in his eyes and instinctively shied away from him, pushing at his shoulders.

"Kouga, I swear, there's _nothing_ going on between Inuyasha and me," she said firmly, managing to avoid having her voice tremble. "How can we even think about staying together when all we do is hurt each other?"

"We hurt the ones we love the most, don't we? Kagome, I'm begging you—"

"Begging? Or ordering?"

"You were happy with me after he broke your heart. I made you smile and laugh again," he insisted.

Kagome wrestled her way out from the corner he had backed her into and stumbled away. "Why does it always come back to that? I'm not trying to get back together with Inuyasha!"

"Stop _lying_!"

A crack resounded in the room, a heavy silence following after it. Kouga stood frozen in shock, staring at Kagome lying on the floor before him. Her dark hair curtained her face, but she held a shaky hand to it, her breath equally shaky. Heavy footsteps echoed throughout the house before Souta slammed through the doorway, panting.

"Kagome!"

Souta caught sight of Kagome on the floor and immediately ran to her, pulling her up and into his arms. He gingerly pulled hair back from her face, instantly pulling his hands back when she hissed in pain.

"Nee-chan?" he asked softly.

"Souta," Kouga began.

Souta's expression turned fierce and he glared darkly at Kouga, making to move towards him before Kagome clutched at his shirt, shaking her head, her sniffles echoing in the room.

"You stay the hell away from my sister," Souta warned, ushering her out of the room. "Get out of this house. Get your crap and get the hell out. You stay away from my sister, or I swear there's nothing to stop me from coming after you."

Kouga stood shell-shocked as he watched the younger Higurashi sibling wrap his arms around Kagome and pull her out of the room. Numbly, he recognized the sound of car doors slamming and Souta's car squealing as he pulled away. Eventually, Kouga focused on the heat in his hand and how it throbbed in time with his pounding heart. With another growl, he turned and slammed his fist into the wall, breaking clear through.

Souta quickly rummaged in his bag one-handed as he tried to simultaneously focus on the road and search for the cold energy drink he had with him. When he found it, he fumbled his grip and hastily thrust it in Kagome's direction.

"Press this to your face for now."

Kagome did what he said and winced at the iciness against her split skin. "Where are you going?"

"To Miroku to make sure he didn't break anything. You took a freaking youkai punch to the face." Souta's knuckles were white as they gripped the steering. "Kagome, what the hell happened? I was on my way over because I heard what happened to Inuyasha. Then I hear you two yelling and— what's going on?"

"Where's your phone?"

"In my pocket, why?"

"I need to call Ginta and Hakkaku to make sure Kouga's okay."

Souta scoffed. "Fuck that. My priority is making sure _you're_ okay."

"Souta, please."

"Forget it, nee-chan. Tell me what's happening first." Souta slid his eyes over to Kagome when she remained silent. He felt his temper rise when he saw how quickly her cheek swelled and was turning a dark purple, her hand hiding any blood from where her skin tore.

"Later."

"Now's not the time for you to be so stubborn."

"I won't tell you until you give me the phone."

Souta sighed before grunting as he shifted in his seat to pull his phone out of his pocket and hand it to her, his face grim as she called Ginta and Hakkaku, frowning when they didn't answer the call. She sent them text messages, albeit very slowly since she had one hand and it hurt to open the eye on the side of her face where Kouga struck her.

"Tell me," Souta demanded.

"I need to call one more person," Kagome said, holding up the phone to show Souta who she was calling before he protested. He nodded and continued to keep his gaze straight ahead as he continued to head towards the hospital.

Kagome grimaced again as she shifted her grip on the phone and pressed the drink to her face. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before there was a click on the line.


	28. Chapter 28

_Last Time…_

" _Now's not the time for you to be so stubborn."_

" _I won't tell you until you give me the phone."_

_Souta sighed before grunting as he shifted in his seat to pull his phone out of his pocket and hand it to her, his face grim as she called Ginta and Hakkaku, frowning when they didn't answer the call. She sent them text messages, albeit very slowly since she had one hand and it hurt to open the eye on the side of her face where Kouga struck her._

" _Tell me," Souta demanded._

" _I need to call one more person," Kagome said, holding up the phone to show Souta who she was calling before he protested. He nodded and continued to keep his gaze straight ahead as he continued to head towards the hospital._

_Kagome grimaced again as she shifted her grip on the phone and pressed the drink to her face. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before there was a click on the line._

* * *

"I'm going to fucking murder him."

"I second that," Souta grumbled. He huffed as he leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees, watching intently as Sango paced around the room.

The older woman rushed straight from the apartment that she shared with Miroku to the hospital to be at Kagome's side after receiving her phone call. Sango's face was tense and her shoulders held high as she moved around. She glanced at Kagome worriedly before sitting next to her on the edge of the hospital bed. Clasping a hand, Sango reached out with her other one, holding her fingertips just above Kagome's marred cheek.

"What happened?" she asked quietly.

"I told Kouga that… I told him that maybe we'd be better off, happier, if we separated."

Sango's eyebrows shot up and nearly disappeared behind the thick fringe of her bangs. "You wanted to separate from him?"

"Ever since Dad's death… things haven't been good between us," Kagome murmured. "Last night, he was completely wasted and came to the office and… I know he wasn't in his right mind. But he— I've never seen him like that before. And he trashed my office. Then I came back home this morning and we had another huge fight."

Kagome sniffed and winced when she wiped the damp skin on her sore cheek. She offered Sango a weak smile when she used a feathery touch to finish brushing away her tears.

"Then, all of the drama with Inuyasha happened and we fought again at the station—"

"Wait, drama with Inuyasha? What are you talking about?" Sango blinked at her. "Did something happen between you two?"

"No!"

"I don't understand. What happened?"

Kagome closed her eyes and sighed. "There's been some kind of case being made against Inuyasha claiming his involvement in the uptick of inuyoukai crime activity, specifically pertaining to corruption within the force and my father's murder."

Immediately, Sango blurted out, "Inuyasha would never!"

"I know," Kagome said tiredly. "That's why I went down to the station… by the time I saw him, he was still refusing any legal counsel and I kind of… forced him to let me help him. At least for the evidence presentation with the prosecutor."

Sango's eyebrows knit together in clear confusion. "What does any of this have to do with your fight with Kouga?"

Kagome frowned and stared resolutely at the wall but Sango was insistent, tightening her grip on Kagome's hand.

"Kagome?"

"Kouga thinks I'm still in love with Inuyasha," Kagome murmured.

Blinking in shock, Sango looked from the profile of Kagome's face to where Souta sat, shooting him a questioning look. Souta shrugged and looked at Kagome with a similar look of surprise and confusion. Sango shifted uncomfortably and cleared her throat.

"And? What did you say?" she urged gently.

"I told him that I have no plans of getting back together with Inuyasha and that he should stop blaming him. I told him we're not the best for each other, especially since he doesn't trust me."

"I heard that part," Souta growled. "It was right before the asshole hit her."

"I just don't understand what made him think that," Kagome sighed. "Earlier this morning, we were arguing, but it was about how he acted last night when he was drunk…" The crease between her brow deepened. "Wait, actually, the fight we had at the precinct. It was because he asked about Inuyasha spending the night at the shrine last night."

"He what?" Sango asked.

Souta cut in, "I came home and saw him sleeping on the couch. At least, before he nearly tore my head off. I guess I startled him when I got home."

"He came to talk to me and ask if I was okay. I hadn't seen him since Dad's funeral. It got late and I fell asleep. It was so late that he ended up staying, too."

"I can't believe that was enough to piss off Kouga."

Souta snorted. "Kouga's always been possessive over nee-chan."

Kagome groaned and held her face in her hands. "What the hell is happening?"

There was a knock on the door before Miroku entered with another doctor. He offered a tight smile at Kagome.

"Kagome, this is Dr. Kimata. He'll be taking over tonight since it's a bit of a conflict of interest for me to treat you. If you don't mind, he's also going to be taking photos of your injury."

Kagome looked from Miroku to the elderly man standing next to him and offering her a comforting smile. He bowed slightly and spoke softly.

"Higurashi-san. It is nice to meet you, though I wish it wouldn't have been under such unfortunate circumstances."

Letting out a nervous laugh, Kagome nodded her head at him. "The feeling is mutual, Dr. Kimata. What do you need me to do?"

"Nothing, really. I'm just going to take some photos as Dr. Kobayashi said and then I'll see to treating you. Although, from what I see, thankfully nothing more than ice and some mild pain medication should be necessary."

"Sounds good to me."

"Alright then, let's get this out of the way so you can get some rest."

"Will I need to stay here overnight?"

Dr. Kimata shared a look with Miroku. "I assume you'd want to stay here. If your home isn't safe…" he trailed off uncertainly.

Kagome blinked and a pink flush came to her cheeks. "Oh. You're right. I just…" She sniffled as a sudden wave of emotion came over her.

"Kagome, don't worry. We'll figure everything out," Sango assured her, wrapping an arm around her. She was careful not to squeeze too hard to aggravate where Kouga's claws pricked and scraped her shoulders and arms.

"Nee-chan, you want me to grab you something to eat?"

"I'm not hungry."

Sango frowned. "Kagome, I think Souta's got the right idea."

"It would be helpful for you to not have an empty stomach before taking the pain medication," Dr. Kimata added.

Kagome shrugged. "I'm outnumbered then," she conceded listlessly.

Miroku held out his arm towards Souta. "C'mon Souta, I'll grab something for you, too."

"Never thought I'd be excited for free hospital food."

With a warm chuckle, Miroku cast another worried glance at Kagome over his shoulder before leaving with Souta.

Sango stood off to the side while Dr. Kimata tended to Kagome when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She glanced at the screen and felt her stomach drop.

"Shit."

"What is it?" Kagome stared at Sango's cell phone apprehensively. "Is it Kouga?"

"No, it's Inuyasha. I have a bunch of text messages from him, too." Sango's eyes roved over her screen, scrolling through the notifications.

Kagome sighed. "I was supposed to call him after. He knew Kouga and I were fighting and told me to let him know when everything was over to make sure I was okay. He's at Izayoi's right now."

"What do you want me to tell him, Kagome?" Sango stared as the unanswered call stopped and she knew Inuyasha was being redirected to her voicemail. "He won't leave a message. He's going to call again."

"Don't let him know I'm here. He'll fly off the handle and do something stupid like go after Kouga."

"If he's looking for you, I hope he didn't call Kouga."

Kagome shook her head. "He wouldn't… Just… let him know that I'm with you and I'm okay. I'll talk to him soon." She sighed again. "Once I get a new phone… who knows if my old one isn't smashed to pieces back at the house."

Sango made a face. "He's not going to like that, Kagome. Just talk to him."

As she spoke, Sango's phone began ringing again. Dr. Kimata raised an eyebrow. He eyed Kagome and asked softly, "Should I step out for a moment?"

"No, Dr. Kimata, that's not necessary." Kagome looked at Sango and instructed, "Text him. Tell him I'm okay and you're with me. I can talk to him in ten minutes." She glanced at the elderly man at her side. "That should be enough time," she said questioningly.

"More than enough. I only need two more."

"Thank you."

Dr. Kimata smiled at her in a way not unlike her grandfather. "For a friend of Dr. Kobayashi's, no problem. Especially for a lovely young woman such as yourself."

He handed her two white capsules and a glass of water before groaning as he rose to his feet from the stool. "That should be all. Rest well, Higurashi-san."

"We can't thank you enough, Dr. Kimata," Sango interjected.

"Like I said before, Hashira-san, it is no problem. I hope to see you again at the next department party. Dr. Kobayashi is on much better behavior when you're around."

Sango gave an indulgent smile. "I don't find that hard to believe. Have a good night."

"You, as well."

When Dr. Kimata closed the door behind him, Kagome sighed and held out her palm. "Okay, I'll call him back."

Sango handed her the phone and nervously twisted her fingers together. "What are you going to tell him? Inuyasha won't handle this well."

"I don't really have much of a choice, do I?" Kagome muttered dryly. She stared at the phone cautiously before jumping when it started ringing again. "Here we go," she murmured.

* * *

Inuyasha stormed through the doors, his face set into a dark scowl as he navigated through the hospital's halls towards the Emergency Medicine Department and stalked his way to the nurses' station. The nurse seated at the desk raised an eyebrow at him and sighed.

"I'm guessing you're Inspector Takado?" she asked dryly.

Inuyasha grunted and gave a sharp nod, his jaw clenched tightly.

She glanced at a clipboard on the desk and sighed once more. "Dr. Kobayashi was supposed to be the one to escort you, but he got pulled into handling a car accident and is in the middle of performing an emergency thoracotomy."

Inuyasha could feel a vein pulsing on his temple and took a deep breath, his claws clacking impatiently against the top of the counter as he grit out, "Can you just direct me to where Kagome Higurashi's room is?"

The nurse eyed him before deciding it wasn't worth the trouble to try and stop him from going. "She's in room 194. Go straight down this hallway right here," she leaned over the edge and directed her arm out to a wing, "take a left at the next turn and then a right. It's going to be the second to last room on the right side."

His eyes already fixed on the hallway she had pointed out, Inuyasha muttered a quick thanks before hurrying away. He could smell traces of peonies and honey amongst the overwhelming scent of alcohol and antiseptic. Knowing he was approaching his goal, Inuyasha honed in on Kagome's scent and followed it, the familiar scent beginning to drown out the other mingled smells. Inuyasha paused outside of the door for a moment and heard nothing but deep, even breathing.

Slowly opening the door, Inuyasha peered in to see Kagome sleeping calmly in her hospital bed, Souta and Sango equally asleep in the armchairs by Kagome's bed. His eyes caught sight of the dark purple bruise on her left cheek. His keen eyesight also managed to catch the red spots indicating burst blood vessels below the surface. Her face was clean but he could tell from the small dark red line that her skin had split from her injury. Without realizing, a deep growl was being issued from the back of his throat and Inuyasha's fists clenched tightly.

"Inuyasha."

Inuyasha whipped his head around and bared his fangs. "What the hell happened, Miroku?" Inuyasha demanded.

Miroku pursed his lips and gestured for Inuyasha to exit the room. "Come with me, Inuyasha. We can talk about this while I grab some coffee… unfortunate timing. If you waited a few more minutes, I would've finished my procedure and briefed you before you saw."

"I don't want a fucking briefing. I want to know what the hell happened."

"She's finally sleeping, Inuyasha. After the day she's had, Kagome deserves some rest, don't you think?" Miroku yawned loudly and rolled his neck. "Besides, Sango and Souta are with her. They'll page for me if anything happens, which I doubt."

"How bad was it?" Inuyasha asked quietly.

"She came in presenting usual signs of someone taking a forceful hit to the face. Swelling, bruising, bleeding where her skin split. Dr. Kimata took photos before treating her. We should also bring back some ice for her. She'll need it by the time she wakes up. I'll also grab another dosage of a mild painkiller."

"Miroku, what happened?"

Miroku frowned, a dark shadow passing over his violet orbs. "Kagome should be the one to tell you," he said, though Inuyasha knew Miroku had his own thoughts over what happened. Miroku knew with equal certainty that Inuyasha was not above getting the answers out of him by force. He held up a hand to stall the irate hanyou. "But first, coffee."

"Keh. Still can't understand the appeal of caffeine when you guys just load it up with sugar."

Smiling wryly, Miroku retorted, "Not all of us can be blessed with youkai sensitivity to caffeine." He nodded his head. "Let's go. They'll wake up soon so we better have ice and breakfast ready for them."

Inuyasha glanced back into the room before closing the door behind him and crossing his arms with a huff. "Spoiling them," he muttered halfheartedly as he followed Miroku to the cafeteria.

"Kagome's going to be fine. At least physically. I can't say the same for her emotional state right now. But I have to give her credit— she's remained very calm and logical."

Inuyasha's brows knit together. "I don't like the sound of that. Sounds like the zombie version of Kagome that's been moping around since her father's death."

Miroku considered Inuyasha with a pensive glance and shook his head. "No, it's different from that. But now, she's really hurting without the emotional blocks she put up before. She needs us more than ever."

With a snort, Inuyasha shoved past Miroku to fill up a tray with a vast array of food while Miroku watched with an amused glint in his eyes. "I'm not about to leave her alone— are you?"

"Of course not."

"Keh! Okay then, no problem," Inuyasha huffed.

Miroku moved along the line with him, filling his own tray with a more moderate amount of food for himself and Sango while Inuyasha took care of the Higurashi siblings. He lingered at the register while waiting for Inuyasha to finish, shooting the cashier a small apologetic smile.

The older woman smiled understandingly. "He's got family in the hospital?"

Miroku hesitated to answer. "…yeah, for the most part. She'll be fine though, thank goodness."

"Ah, then it's normal for him to act this way if it's a young woman he cares deeply about," she said sagely.

"It's complicated," he sighed.

"You done discussing my private life?" Inuyasha snapped as he unceremoniously plopped the ray down next to Miroku's.

Miroku's cheeks pinked slightly while he rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh…"

"Shove it, Kobayashi." Inuyasha reached into the back pocket of his pants for his wallet when the cashier held up a hand.

"Don't worry about it."

Miroku instantly perked up but Inuyasha frowned. "What's the catch?" he asked slowly.

"No catch. Just feeling a little generous today."

Inuyasha still stared at the cashier with slight distrust but nodded. "Suit yourself." He put his wallet back in his pocket before rushing away. "Gotta get this ice to Kagome before it melts. I don't have time to argue."

"You're right," Miroku agreed cheerfully. He made to follow after Inuyasha but the cashier cleared her throat and arched an eyebrow at him expectantly.

"Really?"

"You have an employee discount, anyway, Dr. Kobayashi."

Miroku pursed his lips and grudgingly reached into the pocket of his white lab coat for his wallet.

* * *

Kagome winced as she slowly blinked her eyes open. Her vision came into focus and she wrinkled her nose at the sterile white and silver color scheme of her surroundings. Gingerly, she sat up and gently touched her throbbing cheek.

"Put this on it."

Her gaze fell on the rubber ice pack, ballooned with ice cubes. It rattled slightly as Inuyasha shook it at her, urging her to take it. She blinked at it owlishly before taking it and pressing it to her cheek. The cold sensation pulled her from her grogginess to full awareness.

"Thanks," she murmured before yawning. "Where's everyone else?"

The bed depressed slightly where Inuyasha sat on it and he watched her, his ochre eyes intense. "Went to go home and shower. Apparently, the pain meds the doctor gave you were also muscle relaxants so you've been sleeping in. Souta went to your house to grab some of your stuff. You're going back to the shrine."

Kagome glared at Inuyasha. "That wasn't your decision to make."

He sniffed, "You're right. Souta made it. But I'm not going to lie to you when I say I agree with it."

With a sigh, Kagome leaned back against her pillows. "I'm not moving out of my own house. Not again."

"You were back for one day. It's not like it's going to kill you to bring back a couple duffle bags," Inuyasha scoffed.

"It's not that, Inuyasha. It's the _principle_ of it. I'm not being run out of my home."

Inuyasha crossed his arms and stared down at her. "What the hell happened, Kagome? No one will give me the full story even when I rushed down here after that phone call."

"I _told_ you to not come here until morning. We all fell asleep right after."

Raising his eyebrows, Inuyasha shot back, "I can't get a hold of you for hours and Sango and Souta aren't responding to my calls, of _course_ I'm going to be fucking worried, Kagome! Damn it!" Inuyasha pushed off of the bed to begin pacing at her bedside. "And when you finally pick up the phone, you tell me you're in the hospital and I'm _'not supposed'_ to come here until the morning?"

Inuyasha came to a standstill and glared at Kagome, his eyes tight. "No," he said firmly. "Not a chance in hell. And after all of that, I want an explanation."

Kagome held his gaze, her face set into an equally stubborn frown. "You have to promise me," she began.

"Aw, what the hell, Kagome?"

"Inuyasha, you have to _promise_ me!"

"Fine, whatever. Fuck it."

"Inuyasha."

"I _promise_ ," he sneered.

"That you won't leave my side. As much as you may want to, I need you to stay here with me until I'm ready. Please don't go after Kouga."

Inuyasha visibly deflated as the petulant look melted off of his face, his underlying worry and fear simmering in his eyes. She held her breath unknowingly, releasing it when he nodded at her.

Kagome held out her hand while patting the space Inuyasha just vacated. After a moment's pause, Inuyasha sank back down onto the bed. He hesitated another moment before clasping her smaller hand within his. He felt his heart jolt when Kagome unexpectedly squeezed his hand.

"Two nights ago… you know that Kouga was drunk and came into my office," she said slowly. Inuyasha's hand twitched in hers at the reminder and she stopped to gauge his expression. Inuyasha's jaw was clenched and he sat rigidly.

"When I went back to the house yesterday morning, he was hungover and apologized but I told him that we still had a lot to work on… the issues he brought up just don't go away after a day. I think he thought that would be the end of it, but I left the house, told him it wasn't, and that we needed to cool off." Kagome groaned and adjusted the ice pack on her cheek.

Inuyasha reached out with surprisingly gentle hands to readjust it and wipe away the melting water from her face. "And?" he prodded.

"That's when everything at the station happened and we both put it aside for a little bit. It was almost like everything was okay… not back to normal, but okay. And then after your evidence presentation—" Kagome looked up and immediately turned to stare at their clasped hands.

"Kouga found out that you spent the night at the shrine and lost his temper again." She avoided his gaze, preferring to stare at a frayed edge on her blanket.

"That's what the fight was about?" he asked in a tight voice.

Without lifting her head, Kagome nodded. "At the surface," she whispered.

"Kagome, then it _is_ all my fault," he said numbly.

Kagome raised her eyes and immediately dropped the ice pack to sandwich his hand between both of hers. "No, it's not, Inuyasha," she said firmly. "You just got caught in our problems."

Inuyasha tensed and Kagome knew that he wanted to get up but she tightened her grip on his hand.

"I fucking _knew_ I should've waited for him with you. That bastard _hurt_ you," he growled, a dark shadow passing over his face. "I'm gonna—"

"Do _nothing_. Or are you going to break your promise?" she reminded him.

Inuyasha lifted his other hand to brush away Kagome's long hair, looking at her bruised face sadly. "Kagome, I'm going to kill him," he said darkly, almost helplessly.

"No, you're not. Inuyasha, don't involve yourself further. I'm going to take care of this."

He felt himself begin to tremble as his body absorbed his upset. Inuyasha shook his head. "You're not going within a kilometer of him, _ever_ again." He kept staring at her face before his gaze caught the bandages peeking from under the collar of her gown. "He cut you, too? What the hell happened?"

"He came home from the station… and I told him that we were hurting each other too much. I haven't been fair to him, either, I know. Kouga didn't deserve that—"

"I'll tell you what he fucking deserves," Inuyasha hissed.

"— and I told him that I think we should separate."

Kagome felt Inuyasha tense. "And then he hurt you?"

After pausing a moment too long, Kagome nodded.

"Don't lie to me, Kagome. What else brought this on?"

Kagome closed her eyes and shook her head. "Please, it doesn't matter."

Inuyasha glared. "If it made the bastard hit you, it sure as hell matters. What _else_?"

"He accused me…" Kagome pursed her lips and looked away again. "Kouga accused me of being in love with another person. I told him that wasn't why I wanted to separate i-it's just I don't think we would ever heal from our problems and especially if he didn't trust me… and he screamed at me to stop lying… and hit me."

"Kouga thinks you're cheating on him with me," Inuyasha said bluntly, emotionlessly.

Kagome winced at his tone but nodded. She wasn't prepared for the tender touches against her upper arms and her cheek. She turned her head back and instantly saw the guilt on Inuyasha's face.

"Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha's eyes met hers and he whispered, "I'm so sorry. I don't care what you say, Kagome, I'm the reason you're hurt."

" _No_ —"

Inuyasha pulled her in and squeezed her into his chest, burying his face into her neck while Kagome slowly slid her arms around his chest. "No wonder you didn't want to answer my calls," he mumbled morosely.

"Inuyasha, I don't blame you for any of this," Kagome said fiercely. "If anything, _I'm_ sorry that you're getting caught in the crossfire. I just wish Kouga would have believed me when I said that the two of us are just friends."

Pulling back, Kagome found herself captivated by the liquid gold of Inuyasha's eyes. "I don't wish that," he said quietly, prompting Kagome to lift her head and look up at him.

"What?" she asked breathlessly.

"I'm a piece of shit, Kagome."

"No you're not, you—"

"I am. Because as much as I hate being here and knowing that he hurt you… I'm glad you're free."

Kagome sighed and pillowed her uninjured cheek against his chest again. "Is that what I am now?" she asked wryly.

"Did you… did you want to stay with him?"

Considering the question for several moments, Kagome shook her head, the ends of her thick hair tickling Inuyasha's hand on her back, "I'm angry and sad that my marriage is ending and I'm worried that Kouga and I won't be able to be friends… But I know that separating is the healthiest option for the both of us. I think we deserve our best chance at happiness."

"Kagome?"

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry."

"I told you, you don't need to be sorry."

"Not for that," he rumbled, his voice deep. "For this."

Kagome glanced up at him in confusion, but her unasked question died in the back of her throat. Her voice softened to a gentle sigh at the feeling of Inuyasha's fingers tangled in her hair. She reached her arms around his neck while he held her face, his lips gently pressed against hers.


	29. Chapter 29

_Last Time…_

" _Did you… did you want to stay with him?"_

_Considering the question for several moments, Kagome shook her head, the ends of her thick hair tickling Inuyasha's hand on her back. "I'm angry and sad that my marriage is ending and I'm worried that Kouga and I won't be able to be friends… But I know that separating is the healthiest option for the both of us. I think we deserve our best chance at happiness."_

" _Kagome?"_

" _Hm?"_

" _I'm sorry."_

" _I told you, you don't need to be sorry."_

" _Not for that," he rumbled, his voice deep. "For this."_

_Kagome glanced up at him in confusion, but her unasked question died in the back of her throat. Her voice softened to a gentle sigh at the feeling of Inuyasha's fingers tangled in her hair. She reached her arms around his neck while he held her face, his lips gently pressed against hers._

* * *

Inuyasha and Kagome slowly pulled away, their kiss neither desperate nor wild. It didn't leave their hands shaking or hearts pounding like when they first kissed so many years ago. What they just shared was soft and comforting, a careful step towards something familiar. The nostalgia it inspired was the most overwhelming outcome.

Kagome's eyes remained closed and she exhaled softly before leaning forward, knowing Inuyasha would be there. He didn't disappoint her, his nose brushing against hers, grazing along her unmarred cheek. She could feel his breath dusting over the shell of her ear and she sighed again, her own breath on his neck causing the fine hairs to stand on end.

"Sorry," Inuyasha said gruffly into her hair.

Kagome opened her eyes and giggled, "I know it's been a while, but I didn't think kissing me would be so bad that you'd have to apologize for it."

She felt a puff of air in her hair as Inuyasha snorted in annoyance before he grunted, "Idiot."

Humming softly as she felt Inuyasha nuzzle his face against hers, Kagome sighed contently, her fingers unconsciously rubbing soothing circles as they cradled the nape of Inuyasha's neck. He reached back and gently pulled them away, holding her hands to his chest as he leaned back to meet her eyes. Kagome stared into the warm gold pools and couldn't control the flutter in her stomach at the familiar look in Inuyasha's eyes.

"That's so strange," she said softly.

"What?"

"How easy it is to fall back into old patterns."

Inuyasha frowned at the conflicted expression on Kagome's face as she answered him. "What's wrong?"

Kagome swallowed and managed to free one of her hands to cup his cheek affectionately. "You know… that…" She knit her eyebrows together, trying to gather her thoughts. "But now… I need— Inuyasha, you mean the world—"

"Hey," Inuyasha cut in. "I know." His gaze softened. "I know."

He watched remorse pass over her features and was quick to rub the pad of his thumb between her eyebrows where a worried crease formed.

"I don't want to put you through anything. You deserve better than that," she said, her voice thick. Kagome cleared her throat to try and stifle the emotion. "I can't be what you're looking for right now."

Inuyasha took a deep breath and nodded to himself. "Kagome, as long as it's you, I'd be happy," he said earnestly.

"How?"

"I'd wait millennia for you. I told you before, _I_ _fucked_ _up_. And I regret that every damn day."

"I need time. And if we got together now, it would just prove Kouga right. If we jump into a relationship…"

"I can wait until you're ready, but I don't care if the damn wolf feels justified. It won't matter to me," he griped.

Kagome indulged Inuyasha with a patient smile. "I don't want our relationship to be marked by my relationship with him. A relationship between the two of us is something that should stay that way."

"Kagome—"

"Inuyasha, please just trust me."

"I told you, I don't give a fuck."

Shaking her head mournfully, the patient smile of Kagome's face was beginning to infuriate Inuyasha and he used that anger to stamp down the hurt.

"Is this payback?"

Kagome flinched, her purple skin becoming more stark as she paled. "Inuyasha, _no_ ," she said adamantly.

"Because I'd understand that," he continued, "But I don't understand what else could be holding you back."

Kagome twisted her expression into one of frustration, visibly struggling to explain the confusing myriad of emotions coursing through her. She huffed in aggravation and Inuyasha watched her intently, never having seen Kagome so flustered.

"I… I'm being selfish."

Inuyasha quirked a brow at her. "Explain more," he demanded.

"Like I said before, if we got together again, right now, it only proves Kouga right. I know it doesn't matter to you at the moment, but giving him what seems like a small victory in his eyes would cheapen our relationship. I want to know that if we were together, it'd be because being together makes us better. I already know how we feel about each other. It's about the effect those feelings have on us and to be honest, I don't think I'd be good for you right now."

The words tumbled out of Kagome's mouth in a rush and she stopped short to catch her breath before staring up at him through the fringe of her lashes. "I'm sorry."

Inuyasha remained silent before sighing and nodding. "Now it's your turn to quit apologizing. I get where you're coming from," he said. "I don't like it, but I get it." He asked, "And it doesn't matter if I say I honestly don't care?"

Kagome smiled. "Of course it matters. Knowing that you care that much is such a relief, you have no idea. But I don't want anything to be a regret for us."

Hearing her say that, Inuyasha knew her fear also stemmed from her hurt at her failed marriage. It pulled at his heart and he gathered her into his arms.

"Only thing I regret about you is letting you go without a fight. But I'll wait until you're ready."

"You'll wait?" she asked in disbelief, her voice muffled against his chest.

"I've already been waiting for you the past five years. I can wait a little longer." Inuyasha allowed a small smile when Kagome nestled deeper into his embrace. "But not too long," he warned with mock sternness.

Kagome rolled her eyes and weakly swatted at his chest. "You know, I think all I've needed this entire time was someone who was okay with me needing time."

"We have all the time in the world," Inuyasha said.

"Promise?"

"Again with the promises," he mock complained. He chuckled and pillowed his chin on the crown of her head. "I promise."

Inuyasha frowned at her stillness and peered down at her. "What's wrong?"

"I need to talk to Kouga," she said quietly.

" _No_."

"Inuyasha—"

" _Hell_ no. No chance in hell, Kagome. After what he did to you, I'm not letting you near him."

Kagome arched a brow and retorted, "I don't recall asking for permission. I was just letting you know out of courtesy."

Inuyasha groaned and pulled away completely. "Don't start that shit."

"What?"

"You can't have it both ways, Kagome! Didn't you just learn? The past year of trying to just be friends while married to him wasn't so easy, was it?"

Meeting his stare, Kagome set her jaw stubbornly. "I _know_ ," she gritted out. "I know I hurt Kouga. And the way he acted out was a result of my actions because as much as I felt like he couldn't understand me, I didn't help him understand me. I know my part in this and I owe it to him to have a conversation and apologize… I'm not going to get back together with him."

"Isn't that what you told Kouga about me?" Inuyasha hissed.

Kagome's eyes hardened and she pursed her lips. "I guess I deserve that…"

Inuyasha sighed and ran his fingers through his hair roughly. "No," he finally said. "You didn't. I 'm being a dick." He sat back down on the bed and spoke with a pout, "Fine. But I'm going to be there."

Making a face, Kagome shook her head.

"Right outside the door then," he amended, with little room for argument in his tone.

"Fine."

"You sure you want to do this?"

"I know I _don't_ want to do this. But I need to. Kouga deserves an explanation and I owe him a lot."

Inuyasha gently lifted her chin to inspect Kagome's cheek. "Not that much," he growled. He reached for the bedside table and put the tray on Kagome's lap. "Eat."

Kagome looked from the overwhelming amount of food to the hanyou and smiled shyly at him. "That simple?"

He scoffed. " _Not_ simple. I'm tired and not in the mood right now." He eyed the small mountain of bacon and Kagome laughed softly.

"Help yourself. There's no way I'm going to finish all of this."

A strand of bacon sticking out from between his lips, Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Almost didn't have anything to eat," he garbled out. Kagome made a face while he talked with a face full of bacon. "If I wasn't watching, Souta would have eaten more than his share."

"Should've let him have it," Kagome mumbled while she nibbled on a piece of toast. "I don't really have the stomach for this much food."

"Well I can't have you wasting away to nothing, so you're just going to have to get over it."

Kagome put down the food, earning herself a glare from Inuyasha but she ignored the look. "Inuyasha… really, you deserve a lot more than—"

"Enough with that bullshit, okay? It's my life and my choices. I chose you a long time ago, Kagome. If you're not ready for a relationship right now, I understand that. I'll have you in my life any way I can. I meant it when I said it a year ago and I mean it now. Any way."

Inuyasha resumed eating and Kagome smiled fondly at him before picking up the toast again. "While I wait for Miroku or Dr. Kimata to discharge me, it's up to you to keep me entertained then."

"What do you want?" Inuyasha asked warily, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"You never got around to telling me what you did in America," Kagome pointed out. "Dad mentioned that you spoke to him about it… I'd like to know, too."

Inuyasha put down his chopsticks and brushed his hands off. "You're just too nosy for your own good."

Kagome settled back against the pillows and waited for him to start, feeling a flutter in her stomach when Inuyasha unconsciously put his hand on her knee and stroked his thumb back and forth.

"After transferring from Todai, I flew to California. San Francisco, specifically, to study criminal justice. San Francisco was good for me. Big city, lots of people, easy to get lost in. There's also a forest nearby full of amazing, tall trees. Muir Woods National Monument. It was nice to get lost in there, too…"

Inuyasha kept his tone gruff, but the wistful glaze to his eyes gave him away. In response, Kagome's lips curved into an equally wistful smile.

* * *

The soft click of the door thundered in his ears due to his heightened hearing and Inuyasha was quick to leap to his feet from his seated position at Kagome's bedside. He whirled around and met a startled Souta, the younger man holding his hands up in a clear display of meaning no harm to the sleeping woman. Inuyasha immediately relaxed and slumped backwards, leaning against the edge of the bed.

"Damn it, Souta," he muttered.

"Sorry, Inuyasha. Didn't expect you'd be sleeping."

With a sneer, Inuyasha answered, "Try having the night I had and you'd be hard pressed to get some sleep, too." Inuyasha noticed the bag slung over Souta's shoulder. "What'cha got there?"

Souta brought the bag even closer to his side and eyed it. "Grabbed some clothes for her. Found her phone."

Raising an eyebrow, Inuyasha sat back down again. "Snoop through it?"

"Would I be a little brother if I didn't?"

Souta threw the phone to Inuyasha. He frowned when a screen popped up, prompting him for the pass code. "How'd you get around her lock?"

Shrugging, Souta fell into the other armchair, dropping the duffle bag at his feet. "Not that hard. Nee-chan's not particularly secretive. I saw her put in the code before and she hasn't changed it since."

Inuyasha let out a small bark of laughter at that. "Okay kid, what's the code?"

"Next time, I'll be more careful about using my phone in front of you," Kagome grumbled. Though her words were directed at Souta, her eyes were on Inuyasha.

He thrust the phone out at Kagome. "Check it."

Kagome took the phone and began to scan through her texts, surprised and frowning at the ones that came from Kouga over the course of the night before he realized he wasn't going to get a response. The tension evident on her face, Souta and Inuyasha exchanged a worried look. Souta knit his eyebrows together and crossed his arms over his chest.

"What's wrong?"

"The house was empty when you went over?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah, completely empty. And quit deflecting."

"Not deflecting, just… trying to figure everything out. Nothing else, Souta?"

"Kagome, what's wrong?" Inuyasha interjected.

Souta made a face. "There's a hole in the wall of your office. But other than that… Kouga's stuff is still in the closets and drawers. Doesn't look like he packed in a hurry. Doesn't look like he packed at all. But I'm not a youkai. Don't know if he left right after it happened or what."

He shuffled and continually changed his footing. "There's something else."

"What?" Kagome asked, dread settling like a heavy weight in her stomach.

"You texted Ginta and Hakkaku from my phone… well, Ginta and Hakkaku replied. They found Kouga passed out in a dive bar in Kabukicho in some kind of club. They said he smelled weird and realized he took some mixture of drugs and brought him to a hospital. The doctors said he'll be fine, but even with his youkai blood, it will take a while for it to pass through his system due to the toxicity and amount he took."

Kagome's body shook as Souta relayed the details to Inuyasha and her before throwing her phone towards the foot of her bed. She began to rub her face before hissing when the pressure agitated the tender skin on her face.

"Kagome," Inuyasha admonished lightly, pulling her hands away.

"I'm not a kid!" she snapped. She blinked and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha."

"This isn't your fault," he said softly.

"But it is," she countered. "He wouldn't have—" a hiccup interrupted her words. Kagome struggled to swallow the lump in her throat and stem the tears gathering in her eyes. "I need Miroku to discharge me. Right now. Souta, go find him, I need to get out and find out where Kouga is."

"Nee-chan, I don't think that's—"

"Souta, _please_."

Souta looked to Inuyasha and only moved when the hanyou nodded at him in affirmation. Once Souta left, Inuyasha began rummaging through the duffle bag and threw clothes at Kagome.

"Inuyasha?"

"Get dressed. You can't visit Kouga in a hospital gown. You'll wind up getting re-admitted."

Kagome gingerly got out of the bed and pulled the curtains around it before she turned her back towards Inuyasha and started undoing the ties of her hospital gown. The sound of shuffling fabric filled the room before Kagome asked, "How are we going to find him?"

"Keh! Inuhanyou, remember? I'll find him."

The door clicked as it swung open. "You're going to go looking for him now?"

Kagome pulled the shirt over her head and pulled her long hair out before tugging back the curtains and stared back at Miroku defiantly.

"Yes. He may not be my favorite person right now, but he's in this situation because of me." She huffed and looked through the bag for a fresh pair of socks.

"Kagome, you may have to face the truth that sometimes you can't fix every situation."

"Miroku, I know I can't fix every situation. But this is one I can't just leave behind."

Miroku sighed. "I was in the middle of clocking out when Souta found me. Can you at least wait for me?"

"You're dead on your feet, idiot. What good would you be to her? Go home. Sleep."

His violet eyes widened in disbelief. " _You're_ going to go with her?"

Inuyasha leveled such a glare at Miroku that Miroku stepped back slightly. Miroku twisted his face and turned to Kagome. "I'm not sure how to phrase this delicately, but I'm going to base your and Kouga's marital issues stem from or have to do with Inuyasha and having Inuyasha there when Kouga wakes up will result in a less than pleasant situation."

"Listen—" Inuyasha growled.

"You're right." Kagome looked up from pulling on her shoes and gave a sad half-smile. "I know. That's why Inuyasha won't step in the room."

"Kouga will still smell him," Miroku countered.

Kagome arched a brow questioningly at Inuyasha, who scoffed. "Not getting any further than right outside of the room."

"Then I guess we'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it."

"I'm going with you."

"Miroku—"

Miroku offered a reassuring smile. "Just to act as mediator and make sure tempers don't get too out of hand."

Inuyasha's teeth clicked together when he clenched his jaw. "This isn't fucking couples therapy, Miroku."

"No, but we've all been friends for years and certainly none of us want anyone else getting hurt. We need to resolve this as peacefully as possible."

Grumbling under his breath something that sounded like 'Typical Buddhist thing to say', Inuyasha then huffed, "Let's get this over with then."

"I'll get started on your discharge paperwork, Kagome. Fifteen minutes."

"Thanks, Miroku," Kagome said while Inuyasha grouched, "Make it five."

After Miroku left, Souta glanced at Kagome warily. "You're sure about this, Nee-chan?"

Kagome reached out to take his hand and squeezed it tightly. "I'm not going to leave him alone when he needs a friend. Kouga deserves an explanation. It was shit at the end, but I'm not going to forget everything he's done."

Inuyasha took the bag from her shoulder and slung it over his own. "Don't give him false hope," he told her. "Support him, be there for him, whatever. But don't let him think he has a chance of fixing what happened if he really doesn't."

"And what about you? You two are friends, too. Partners."

Inuyasha's eyes tightened and he pursed his lips. Echoing Kagome's previous words, Inuyasha muttered, "Cross that bridge when we get to it."


	30. Chapter 30

_Last Time…_

" _No, but we've all been friends for years and certainly none of us want anyone else getting hurt. We need to resolve this as peacefully as possible."_

_Grumbling under his breath something that sounded like 'Typical Buddhist thing to say', Inuyasha then huffed, "Let's get this over with then."_

" _I'll get started on your discharge paperwork, Kagome. Fifteen minutes."_

" _Thanks, Miroku," Kagome said while Inuyasha grouched, "Make it five."_

_After Miroku left, Souta glanced at Kagome warily. "You're sure about this, Nee-chan?"_

_Kagome reached out to take his hand and squeezed it tightly. "I'm not going to leave him alone when he needs a friend. Kouga deserves an explanation. It was shit at the end, but I'm not going to forget everything he's done."_

_Inuyasha took the bag from her shoulder and slung it over his own. "Don't give him false hope," he told her. "Support him, be there for him, whatever. But don't let him think he has a chance of fixing what happened if he really doesn't."_

" _And what about you? You two are friends, too. Partners."_

_Inuyasha's eyes tightened and he pursed his lips. Echoing Kagome's previous words, Inuyasha muttered, "Cross that bridge when we get to it."_

* * *

Hakkaku lifted his head wearily and gasped when he saw who was coming down the hallway. He sat up straight and swung an arm out to smack the sleeping Ginta in the abdomen. Ginta startled with a grunt and glared at his best friend before his eyes trailed over to where Hakkaku's gaze was focused.

The two immediately jumped to their feet and frowned at Kagome as she approached them. Kagome returned the bleak expression, noting how Hakkaku's usually pristine mohawk fell limply in platinum strands over his eyes and Ginta sported uncharacteristic stubble on his jaw line and neck.

"Kagome," Ginta breathed mournfully, staring at her bruised and swollen face. "What…?"

"How is he?" she asked gently.

Ginta shook his head. "Hasn't regained consciousness since we found him."

"Doctor says he'll be fine, though. Lucky bastard," Hakkaku added. He raised his arms above his head in a languid stretch. "Like I texted your brother, found Kouga just in time to have the idiot's stomach pumped. His system's flushing out the rest."

"Wouldn't have been the case if he was human," Ginta grumbled. He shook his head. "What the hell happened, Kagome? Are you okay?"

Shifting uncomfortably, Hakkaku added, "We heard the two of you fight the morning after he trashed your office while we were in the kitchen. And then we got your text messages last night…"

Kagome sighed. "We fought again—" A beat. "A couple of times," Kagome amended. She huffed exasperatedly before looking towards the door the two were seated by. "Can I go inside?"

"Shit, so he _did_ do _that_ ," Hakkaku said, gesturing towards her face. He reached out hesitantly.

A low growl interrupted and Hakkaku instinctively pulled his arm back and stared as Inuyasha turned the corner with a dark look on his face. Kagome rolled her eyes at him.

"Honestly, Inuyasha, he's not going to hurt me."

"You thought that about Kouga, didn't you?" Inuyasha asked coolly.

Ginta looked between the two and frowned. "That's what it was about, wasn't it, Kagome?"

"What the fuck are you going on about?" Inuyasha snapped.

Ginta's gaze turned cold. "You're back with this guy?"

Kagome paled and stole a glance with Inuyasha, who instantly stepped between Kagome and the two wolf youkai, forming a physical barrier. He leveled a glare at Ginta before Hakkaku pushed Ginta back, lifting a placating hand in Inuyasha's direction.

"Come on, Ginta! You know Kagome."

"We're not together," Inuyasha grit out curtly. He glanced at Kagome and shook his head minutely to cut off the instant look of guilt on her face. "Go and see Kouga. I'll wait out here with these two."

As soon as Kagome entered the room, Inuyasha turned to Ginta. "You must be a fucking idiot if you thought Kagome would ever betray anyone she considers a friend."

"We're not idiots. Kouga's not one, either. Anyone with a pulse can see the hard on you have for Kagome!"

"Hey!" Miroku strode down the hall, his dark hair in disarray as if he had been running his hands through them. "Inuyasha, I told you to wait for me," he complained in a sotto voice.

"Not my fault you took too long."

"Look, Ginta, you may not know Inuyasha like the rest of us do, but you certainly know Kagome. And you saw what happened to her. I think we can all agree that what happened is between her and Kouga and if anything, they both had a hand in what happened." Miroku ignored Inuyasha's terse grunt of disagreement and continued, "Let them figure it out. The two of you look exhausted. Go get food… or some coffee, at least.

"I'm fine," Ginta snapped, shrugging off Hakkaku's restraining arm and storming down the hall.

"Sorry about that," Hakkaku said tiredly. "It's been a stressful few days since Kagome first called us."

"Yeah, it'd be pretty stressful to chase a drunken bastard throughout Tokyo after he verbally and physically assaulted his wife and trashed her office," Inuyasha sniped acerbically.

Miroku's head snapped towards Inuyasha. "Kouga did what?"

Hakkaku twisted his face. "We found him passed out in some dive just like when we found him last night… Kagome doesn't know, but he's been drinking a lot more for a while. Kouga's been telling her he was hanging out with us when she asked… but since her father's death, she hasn't been asking that much. Ginta and I never thought it would've escalated that he'd do something like that."

Nodding, Miroku sighed. "It's thrown us all for a bit of a loop."

Eyeing Inuyaha, Hakkaku added, "Whatever it was that sparked Kouga last night, it didn't need to be something big. He was wound pretty tight."

"Like Miroku said, it's none of our business, is it?" Inuyasha retorted. He leaned against the opposite wall from the door to Kouga's room, his gold eyes fixated on the door while his ears twitched restlessly from where they were perched.

"How hard are you trying to not listen in?"

Inuyasha momentarily darted his eyes over to Hakkaku before returning to the door. "Fuck off, mangy wolf."

* * *

Kagome stared at Kouga for a long moment, frozen. She hadn't had any idea of what to expect when she walked in. But most of all, she wasn't expecting Kouga's icy blue eyes piercing through her as she entered the room.

"Kouga?" she said quietly. "You're awake?"

Kouga remained silent and continued to stare at her in silence. Kagome stifled the urge to rush out of the door and stepped to his bedside, her eyes roving over his body in a cursory glance.

"How are you feeling?"

Kouga rolled his eyes. "What do you want, Kagome?"

"I got Ginta and Hakkaku's messages and was worried," she said, confusion tingeing her voice.

He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, his gaze fixated on her black eye and swollen face. Immediately, his face fell. "I fucked up."

Kagome softly touched her fingertips to her face, lightly pressing at the tender flesh and trying not to wince at the sharp pain. "I think we both are at fault," she admitted quietly.

She pulled a chair over from the wall to settle next to the edge of the bed and sighed. "How are you?" she asked again.

Kouga shrugged weakly. "Feel like shit," he said shortly. "Worse than the hangover I had yesterday, that's for sure." He laughed humorlessly. "Was it only yesterday? A lot of shit happened since then."

"How did you even find all of that crap to take?"

"I was in Kabukicho, wasn't I? Not that hard to 'confiscate' it from the scum in the clubs and alleys and use them for myself."

Kagome kept eye contact with him. "Were you trying to kill yourself?" she asked, a hitch in her voice.

The seconds passed between them as if they were hours. Kouga glared at the foot of the bed, his mouth pressed into a thin line as if trying to stop himself from speaking.

"Kouga?"

"I don't know," he admitted softly, his usually piercing eyes blank. "I just— after realizing what I had done, I felt like shit. Everything went wrong, Kagome. _We_ went wrong."

Venturing out her hand to grab his, Kagome was relieved to see that he didn't pull away from her touch. "I don't think we were wrong, Kouga. That's what I said before… but we changed and grew into different people and we're not the best for each other. And I think we deserve our best chances for happiness."

Kouga's gaze slid over to the door. "Is _he_ yours?"

Kagome frowned. "Kouga—"

"You reek of him, Kagome. And I can smell him outside, too." He laughed humorlessly. "How much does he want to kill me?" Kouga sat up suddenly and leaned his upper body towards the door. "Come on, you bastard! Go ahead!"

"Kouga!"

Simultaneously rising from her seat to force Kouga to rest against the pillows while turning her head over her shoulder, Kagome was relieved to see that Inuyasha had not burst through the door like she had expected him to. Most likely due to Miroku's restraint.

When she saw that she caught Kouga's attention again, Kagome shook her head sadly. "You might not believe me, but I'm trying to tell you how I feel so we can understand the situation," Kagome said with a mixture of calm and sadness.

"Let me put it this way— do you want to stay married to me?"

"Do you?"

"I asked first."

Kagome held his gaze and the determination in her honey-colored eyes captivated Kouga. "I'm going to make this clear," she began. "I'm not currently in a relationship with Inuyasha. I didn't have any intention to start one, either. There was nothing from our interactions in the past year that swayed me, despite anything that you clearly thought about Inuyasha and me."

"And?"

"I think that if we stayed together… if we somehow managed to work through this damn mess, we'd be okay. For a little while at least. But you'd always have that distrust of me around him. And I'd be scared that something might set you off and I'm going to be on the receiving end of your anger."

Kouga's jaw clenched as he listened to Kagome and he glared at a spot on the wall behind her. "That's not fair to either of us," he said grudgingly.

Kagome's brows knit together in an anxious fashion. "Is that the type of marriage you always envisioned?"

"Of course not!" Kouga snapped. He sighed and rubbed his face roughly with his hands. "You don't see the way he looks at you," he maintained.

Kagome frowned. "You should have been paying more attention to the way _I_ used to look at _you_."

Quirking his brows up at her, Kouga took her words to heart and allowed himself the chance to look at Kagome. As he observed her, he mentally superimposed the way she looked at him at the beginning of their relationship. She was more guarded now, not carefree. Similar to how she had looked when Inuyasha suddenly disappeared to America.

He had prided himself on how he brought the light back to Kagome's eyes after Inuyasha's heartbreak snuffed it out. He had sworn to her before they started their relationship that he wouldn't hurt her. He had broken his promise.

"What did I do?" he asked himself brokenly.

"It wasn't just you. I wasn't fair, either," she assured him. "Especially after Dad's death. I wouldn't let you in." Kagome felt the warm wetness of her tears trailing down her face. "I'm at fault for that. I pushed you away."

"I let you. Shit, I'm the one who told Inuyasha to talk to you because I didn't know how to."

_Inuyasha's eyes were hard, careful as he considered Kouga. Regarding him warily, Inuyasha asked, "What do you want me to do about it?"_

" _Get her back," Kouga croaked. "Help me! Do it for Kagome!"_

" _What makes you think I fucking_ can _?"_

" _Because you did it before!" Kouga roared. "You kept her here. She didn't leave you…"_

" _Things were different then, Kouga." Inuyasha said, a guarded look in his eyes._

" _Are they really so different now?"_

Kouga blinked and was shocked when he felt Kagome's gentle fingertips swiping at the tears staining his cheeks. He blinked several more times to try and staunch the flow. "I knew," he gasped. "And I did it anyway."

"What?" Kagome asked.

"I knew Inuyasha was still in love with you but I sent him to you anyway because I didn't know how to help you myself. And I just wanted things to go back to the way they were when he was gone." He barked out a bitter laugh. "It doesn't fucking work that way, does it?"

"Kouga—"

"Get out, Kagome," Kouga said suddenly.

Kagome blinked at the sudden change in Kouga's disposition. "But, Kouga—"

"I said _get out_!" he snarled, rising out of the bed to tower over her.

There was a booming crash that resounded in the small hospital room as the door was nearly thrown off of its hinges and Inuyasha rushed in, the look in his eyes murderous. Miroku was trying in vain to hold Inuyasha back by wrapping his arms around one of Inuyasha's, to minimal success. Kagome could see through the open door that Hakkaku was groaning while rubbing his head, slumped against the opposite wall outside. Rising out of her chair and backing away from Kouga, Kagome gasped Inuyasha's name.

"Get the hell out of my room," Kouga hissed darkly.

Inuyasha ignored him and narrowed his eyes into a heated glare. "Don't talk to her that way," he growled out. "Don't you _dare_ speak to her that way after everything you did. You want to be pissed at someone? Be pissed at _me_!"

"Don't worry, bastard, I am," Kouga replied with equal venom in his voice. "Let me guess, she called you as soon as she ran out of our house and you just couldn't wait to swoop in."

Lunging forward, Inuyasha was only barely held back by Miroku's relatively nonexistent hold on him. "You fucking—"

Miroku sighed. "I know this is a hard time for you, Kouga, but please trust me when I say Inuyasha didn't know about what happened until early this morning."

Kouga's eyes fixated on Miroku and Miroku found himself frozen in their cold depths. "Why should I even believe you? You're their best friend."

Kagome frowned. Earnestly, she told him, "Kouga, so are you."

"Kagome's right," Miroku added. "And we've all done a shitty job at acting like it. So everyone calm down and listen to what needs to be said."

"I don't need to listen anything you have to say. Any of you!" Kouga growled.

Inuyasha finally broke away from Miroku's hold, easily throwing him off before shoving Kouga away. Kouga, still unsteady on his feet from the drugs' presence in his presence, stumbled back and into the wall. Kagome instantly moved to help him, but Inuyasha blocked her path and held a hand around Kouga's throat, the two men locked in a heated glare.

"She didn't need to come here, you fucking dick!" Inuyasha leant in closer, baring his fangs. "She demanded to be discharged as soon as she found out that you were a dumbass and landed yourself in the hospital. Say whatever the fuck you want about me, but don't try and say that Kagome doesn't give a shit about you." He huffed and released Kouga roughly, causing the youkai to slam against the wall before he got his bearings.

Kagome continued to stare worriedly at Kouga before grabbing Inuyasha's sleeve to pull him back. "Inuyasha, maybe you were right."

Inuyasha turned to peer at her from the corner of his eye, still keeping an eye on Kouga at the same time.

"He's never going to understand if he doesn't want to listen," she mumbled.

Kagome brushed past him and stood in front of Kouga warily, approaching him like when one found a wounded animal. Kouga's glare slowly melted away when he caught the slight downturn of Kagome's lips, the lines of worry etched around her eyes as she considered him. The absolute, complete sincerity of her concern swirling in her honey eyes.

"I'm sorry, Kouga," Kagome said gently. "I'm _so_ sorry for how I've treated you the past few months and you're right— I haven't been fair. I don't doubt that you loved me and I don't want you to doubt that I loved you, either. But I can't compete with your idea of me. And I don't want you feeling like you're competing with my past."

Slowly, she held her hands out and waited for any sign of aggression from Kouga, but he just continued watching her with captivated eyes. Kagome brushed his bangs from his face and cupped his cheek tenderly, a sad smile pulling her lips.

"You made me laugh and smile again when I thought that I was so heartbroken, I could never do it again. You made me feel safe again and I thought our relationship came about so naturally from our friendship… but I think it's because I was just desperate for a way to feel normal again."

Kouga nodded roughly. "I know," he said, his voice thick. "I thought you'd eventually forget about him and be happy with me."

Kagome made a face. "Don't act like I wasn't. You know I was."

"But you didn't forget him," he countered, an edge to his voice once more.

Inuyasha grit his teeth and watched the two with a guarded expression. Miroku elbowed him. "Come on, Inuyasha. Let's leave them. There won't be another outburst."

"No. I need answers."

Miroku looked up and saw Kouga had pushed off of the wall and stepped towards Inuyasha, the look on the man's face inscrutable.

"How long?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Inuyasha snapped, his face hard.

"Just tell me! How long have you been scheming?"

Inuyasha lifted his chin stubbornly and ignored him. Instead, he ordered, "Apologize to Kagome," confusing Kagome. "All of this talk about caring about her and you haven't even given her a fucking apology for _punching her in the damn face_!" Inuyasha shook his head and his lips curled into a cold smile.

"You're kidding yourself when you say you love her. You're so concerned with your own 'love' for her that you're not concerned with _her_ feelings." Inuyasha scoffed.

Kouga's fist shot out and there was a sickening snap as Inuyasha's head jerked backwards before he responded quickly with a blow that landed squarely in Kouga's abdomen with a muted thud, causing Kouga to wheeze.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried out, a mixture of worry and censure in her voice.

Since Kouga was still hunched over and leaning on Inuyasha for support, Inuyasha took the opportunity to murmur lowly, "That how you hit Kagome, you son of a bitch?"

Inuyasha shoved Kouga off of him and Kouga grasped the edge of the bed for support while Kagome looked him over. Kouga pushed her away and Kagome signed in exasperation before turning to Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha, please, just five more minutes. Wait outside and I'll be right there."

"No, Kagome. We're finishing this now. You've given him your side of the story, apologized to the bastard. He said he doesn't want our help. We're through here."

Inuyasha reached for her arm but Kagome resisted against his pull.

"I'm sorry," Kouga rasped out.

Kagome froze and turned to him with wide eyes.

"I… I never meant to get violent with you. Kagome, I love you," he said heavily, his breath coming out in shallow pants. "Bastard's right and I'm in the wrong for getting physical the past two nights. That's on me."

Kagome held her breath.

"This isn't completely your fault. I should've known. When you didn't want to become my mate. When you refused to talk about having kids. I was the safe option. I know."

Kagome couldn't deny it anymore and she tore her eyes away.

Kouga laughed harshly. "So how long did you wait, you piece of shit?" he asked Inuyasha. "Kagome's convinced she doesn't want to be married to me anymore. You did it. You broke our marriage and now, you can _snatch her up_ , just like you've been waiting to do the past year."

Inuyasha curled his lip in distaste. "You're still high," he spat. "You must be."

With another bark of laughter, Kouga sneered at Inuyasha. "Must be? You should've been able to smell if I was. Must be since you're a damn hanyou— your sense of smell is shit compared to a full inuyoukai's."

Kagome whirled around, fire in her eyes. " _Kouga_."

"Don't ' _Kouga'_ me," he said hotly.

A low growl issued from Inuyasha but before he could say or do anything in her defense, Kagome let out her own growl of frustration. "I've tried being patient about this and maybe it's because we're all sleep deprived, but I can't talk to you about this anymore, Kouga. We've been going around in circles about the same topic for days at this point. This is where I stand— I can't do this anymore."

Kouga's face went slack and Kagome rushed out of the room. The three men vaguely heard Hakkaku call after her. Miroku looked worriedly between the two.

"Get her, Miroku. Knowing her, she'll get herself into more trouble," Inuyasha instructed sternly. He didn't look to see whether Miroku was following his orders before leveling a cool glare at Kouga. "Not that I fucking owe it to you, but I'm going to tell you the truth. As soon as Kagome told me she was going to separate from you, I kissed her."


	31. Chapter 31

_Last Time…_

_With another bark of laughter, Kouga sneered at Inuyasha. "Must be? You should've been able to smell if I was. Must be since you're a damn hanyou— your sense of smell is shit compared to a full inuyoukai's."_

_Kagome whirled around, fire in her eyes. "_ Kouga _."_

" _Don't_ 'Kouga' _me," he said hotly._

_A low growl issued from Inuyasha but before he could say or do anything in her defense, Kagome let out her own growl of frustration. "I've tried being patient about this and maybe it's because we're all sleep deprived, but I can't talk to you about this anymore, Kouga. We've been going around in circles about the same topic for days at this point. This is where I stand— I can't do this anymore."_

_Kouga's face went slack and Kagome rushed out of the room. The three men vaguely heard Hakkaku call after her. Miroku looked worriedly between the two._

" _Get her, Miroku. Knowing her, she'll get herself into more trouble," Inuyasha instructed sternly. He didn't look to see whether Miroku was following his orders before leveling a cool glare at Kouga. "Not that I fucking owe it to you, but I'm going to tell you the truth. As soon as Kagome told me she was going to separate from you, I kissed her."_

* * *

Blindingly fast, Kouga's fist flew towards Inuyasha's face but unlike the last time, Inuyasha was quick to dodge the attempted strike, immediately bringing up his arms to block Kouga's oncoming barrage of blows. Inuyasha knew that Kouga was still feeling the effects of the overdose of drugs and alcohol in his system. The youkai was moving much slower than his usual and his current reaction time was pathetic in comparison. It allowed Inuyasha an easy opening to brush away Kouga's next hit and brace his forearm against Kouga's throat, pinning him down to the floor.

"Quit it!" Inuyasha hissed.

Kouga continued to struggle against Inuyasha's strength, his eyes watering and his strangled voice making choking sounds. Inuyasha lightened the pressure he applied. Slightly.

"Fucking— bastard— betray— no— _friends_ ," Kouga rasped. Slapping his hand against Inuyasha's arm, Kouga's face twisted into a desperate and angry snarl, his blue eyes narrowed into icy slits as they glowered at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha knit his eyebrows at Kouga. "I let her go once and I'm _never_ going to make that stupid of a mistake again. She said you two weren't together anymore and I let her know where I stand. I'm letting _you_ know out of courtesy."

Sooner than anyone could have predicted, the grotesque expression of hatred on Kouga's face shifted into one of despair and his wheezing breaths turned into gasping sobs. Inuyasha smelled the saltwater before they leaked from the corner of Kouga's eyes, spilling down the sides of his face and into his hair. Once Inuyasha felt him stop struggling, he leapt away from Kouga, wide eyed.

Kouga continued to sob on the floor while Inuyasha stared down at him in shock. Hakkaku came into the room then, Ginta at his heels. Ginta shoved Inuyasha aside to rush to Kouga and helped him sit up. Hakkaku grabbed Kouga's legs while Ginta hooked his arms under Kouga's shoulders, and together, they lifted him back onto the bed.

"Kouga?"

Kouga was inconsolable, his body wracked by sobs and harsh breathing. The three men could hear Kouga's heart rate elevate.

Hakkaku shook his head mournfully, "It's the combination of everything," he said softly to Ginta. "It's still messing with him."

The two wolf youkai glanced at Inuyasha and Ginta said in a clipped voice, "Better get out of here. You're only making it worse."

Inuyasha ignored Ginta and caught Kouga's eyes. A rare tone of solemnity colored his voice. "I've never betrayed you, Kouga. You're my partner. I would have happily kept my distance like I have been for the past year if you two were happy together. To the best of my abilities, I've always tried to have your back. But Kagome comes first for me. Even if she still doesn't choose me in the end."

He turned on his heel to leave but froze, partially turning his head over his shoulder. "I could have not told you the truth," he reminded him. "But I think you deserve better than that."

Then, he strode out of the room quickly but before Inuyasha could turn the corner, a hand grabbed his shoulder. He lifted an eyebrow at Hakkaku, but Hakkaku shrugged. "It was good of you and Kagome to drop by and check on him. I know Kouga hasn't been himself. Ginta and I are hoping this is the wake up call he needed. Ginta might not be ready to say it… but thanks."

Nodding, Inuyasha sighed and looked back down the hall where Kouga's room was. "Do me a favor and keep us posted? I don't think it's a good idea for me or Kagome to drop by again until Kouga's ready for us."

"Will do. We'll let Kagome know when he's completely sober if she wants to visit and when he's going to be discharged." Hakkaku began walking backwards towards the room. "See you. Give Kagome my best! I'll try and stop by when everything settles down."

A dark brow rose up as Inuyasha watched Hakkaku turned to disappear into Kouga's room. He was sorely tempted to grumble that there was no chance in hell he'd let that happen, but he knew how close Kagome had gotten with Kouga's university friends due to their relationship and eventual marriage. Grudgingly, he had to admit that he didn't mind them too much, either.

"Hakkaku!" he called out. "Keep an eye on him."

Hakkaku stopped short and nodded once more before finally ducking back into the hospital room. Satisfied for the moment, Inuyasha hurried out of the hospital into the entrance bay where he was able to find Miroku and Kagome.

Kagome was little more than a ball, sitting on the edge of the sidewalk, hugging her knees while Miroku crouched over her, an arm wrapped around her shoulders in silent comfort and to shield her from the brisk autumn wind. Inuyasha approached them silently, placing a hand on Miroku's shoulder and jerking his head to the side. Getting the message, Miroku stood and Inuyasha was quick to replace him, his body serving as a shield. Kagome resisted, but when Inuyasha tugged on her shoulders, she relented and leaned into him after shivering from the wind that tunneled through the space in between them.

"I texted Sango and she's on her way," Miroku informed them. "She and Souta were working on dinner for us," he added in what appeared to be a jovial manner. Inuyasha looked up to scowl at him and with a single look, communicated his clear desire for Miroku to shut up.

Kagome frowned and also looked up at Miroku. "Dinner?" she said quietly, trying to stifle the sniffles. "Where?"

The smile fell off of Miroku's face. "Uh… I… I don't— I'm assuming it'll be at your place," he finished quietly.

Inuyasha cut in, "We can go wherever you want. We can just pack up the food."

"Inuyasha, I don't need you to coddle me. I'm fine," she dismissed before eyeing him with a careful eye. "Are you okay?"

"Me?"

Kagome twisted her face into a sour expression. "It wasn't pretty when you took that punch to the face."

"Keh! Like you're the one to talk."

A pink tinge appeared at the tops of Kagome's cheekbones and she self-consciously touched a hand to her bruised face. Inuyasha was quick to pull her hand away with surprising tenderness.

"Quit touching it," he commanded. He sighed at the way she pouted at him. "You know that's not what I meant, idiot," he whispered softly. "I know you're just fishing for compliments."

Unable to help the small upwards quirk of her lips at that, Kagome's eyes settled on his face, her brow furrowed in concern..

"I'm a hanyou, Kagome," he reminded her exasperatedly. "I'm fine."

"Fine," she quipped, a hint of stubbornness to her tone.

Inuyasha led the hand he still held in his hand and placed it on his jaw where Kouga had hit him. Kagome was distracted by the way his gold eyes fixed her in place until he gently, if not impatiently, prodded her hand. She blinked and looked at where her hand was as her eyes focused and filled with anxiety. Her fingertips pressed lightly against the spot where she knew Kouga's fist connected.

"It doesn't hurt?"

"Not at all," he assured her.

She nodded and allowed a pleased smile. "Good."

"What about you? Headache coming back?"

Kagome shook her head. "Just a little tenderness."

"Should ice it as soon as we get home," Inuyasha mumbled. He felt his cheeks warm. "Get to your place," he amended.

A pair of headlights flashed their high beams momentarily and Inuyasha and Kagome glanced up to see Sango pull up in front of them. She rolled down the window, her face set in a worried frown.

"Everything okay?"

Inuyasha was quick to remove Kagome's hand from his face. "Peachy," he said curtly. "Let's go. These two will freeze out in the cold."

* * *

Kagome watched enviously as Sango took a large gulp from her glass of wine. Sango put down her glass and sighed, resting her chin on one hand propped up on the table.

"I know I shouldn't mix alcohol with my pain medication—"

Sango leveled a cool look at Kagome. "Don't even think about finishing that sentence, Kagome. I don't need another reason to head back to the hospital. I've had enough of hospitals lately."

"I _know_ ," Kagome repeated with a sigh. "But it would have been nice to have something to help me sleep," she muttered.

With a sympathetic frown, Sango apologized, "I'm sorry, Kagome. Souta and I didn't realize that you might not want to come back to this house. I guess you wouldn't _want_ to come back after what happened…"

"No, it's not that, Sango." Kagome offered a thin smile. "Really, it's not. The smell of bleach is kind of overwhelming, though," she added lightly.

Sango wrinkled her nose in agreement. "Souta was worried what would happen if Inuyasha caught the smell of your blood. And I guess he wanted to keep tempers cool by overpowering any remnants of Kouga's scent, too."

Kagome frowned at that. "Am I doing the right thing, Sango?" Kagome rubbed one of her eyes gently, careful with the injured half of her face. "In the span of a weekend, Kouga's marriage dissolved and he doesn't even have a home. I should just move back to the shrine—"

"Hey, it wasn't just Kouga's marriage. It was yours, too," Sango reminded her firmly, though not unkindly. "Don't doubt your instincts just because you might be feeling guilty. And this house was a gift from your parents."

"As a wedding present," Kagome groaned.

"Look, if it gives you such a bad feeling, let Kouga have the house then. You can move back to the shrine. But don't stress about it too much. From what you guys told me and Souta, Kouga will be in the hospital for at least a few days. They're going to want to keep him under observation to make sure he doesn't try and get high again."

Unknowingly chewing on her bottom lip, Kagome shook her head. "What about his job? If word gets out that he had an overdose—"

"Word's not going to get out."

Kagome turned and saw Inuyasha leaning in the doorway between the kitchen and the dining room, his arms folded over his chest. His brow was furrowed as he continued speaking.

"Call the station, let them know he's in the hospital and won't be discharged for a while. Let Ginta and Hakkaku know in case the superintendent tries to call the hospital directly."

"They can't ask about why he's in the hospital," Kagome murmured in agreement. "Patient confidentiality. Okay… I'll do that in the morning." She massaged the bridge of her nose as pain flared up.

Sango shared a look with Inuyasha before twisting her mouth in discomfort and asking, "Kagome… are you going to press charges?"

"Charges?" Kagome echoed.

"For… well…" Sango gestured at Kagome's face.

"I… I didn't plan on it."

Souta and Miroku entered the room then, each carrying large plates of food and placing it on the table. Souta stared at his older sister with disbelief evident on his face.

"You didn't plan on it?" he demanded. "What the hell were you thinking of doing then, Kagome?"

"Souta," Inuyasha warned.

Souta turned his angry gaze to Inuyasha. "What? She needs to stop being such a goddamn bleeding heart." Souta knelt down in front of Kagome. "Nee-chan, he _hurt_ you. You can't just let that go," he entreated.

"Souta, I understand where you're coming from, but this is between Kouga and me."

Miroku cleared his throat and interjected, "This is a really personal matter and I don't mean to overstep my boundaries—"

"Keh! Since when?"

"— but, just to offer as objective a perspective as possible… no one can force you to press charges if you really don't want to, but what's the most logical path to take?"

Sango nodded. "Miroku's right, Kagome. Think about if you had a client in your position. What would you tell her?"

Kagome sighed. "I'm not going to press charges. I'm not going to add to this huge pile of problems. I really think it was a one time incident."

Inuyasha growled, "Even though he's gotten physical three times in the past two nights?" He scoffed. "Kagome, listen to Souta. Sometimes, you don't see the bad side to people."

Turning in her seat, Kagome gave Inuyasha a meaningful look. "Inuyasha, everyone has light and dark in them. Someone's darkness doesn't necessarily equate to their being evil. It's not that I don't see the bad side... I refuse to forget everything I know about Kouga after being friends with him for nearly a decade for less than a handful of instances when I know Kouga wasn't like himself," she whispered.

Inuyasha's gaze wavered slightly before they took on a steely glint and he stomped out of the room. The sound of the sliding glass door opening and closing echoed in the silent dining room. Kagome sighed and rose from her seat and gave everyone a tired smile.

"Go ahead, guys. Start eating. I'll go deal with Inuyasha."

"Kagome, just remember that Inuyasha always has your best interests in mind," Miroku reminded her gently. "We all know it might come off the wrong way, but it always comes from a good place."

Kagome stared at Miroku for a moment, considering his advice, before following after Inuyasha out onto the deck. Once outside, Kagome cautiously walked down the steps after finding the back patio empty, her eyes not yet adjusted to the darkness. As soon as she stepped onto the grass, she could feel his eyes on her and Kagome squinted into the tree line to find some sign of Inuyasha.

A weight settled over her shoulders and she gasped quietly in shock before turning and finding two gold eyes bearing down on her, almost luminescent in the pearly moonlight.

"You're going to freeze," Inuyasha scolded. He tugged on the edges of his jacket, pulling it close around her.

"What did I do wrong?" Kagome asked timidly.

Inuyasha regarded her silently, his face revealing nothing and infuriating Kagome. She felt her anger get the best of her patience and she scowled up at him.

"Just say what you want to say!"

The effect of her outburst was instantaneous and Inuyasha's impassive mask fell away to reveal a brooding scowl as he retorted, "What the hell do you _want_ me to say?"

Kagome prodded him in the chest with her index finger. Her voice was shrill as she yelled, " _You're_ the one who stormed out of the house, so obviously you _know_ what you want to say. Out with it!"

Inuyasha clenched his jaw, his lips pressed into a hard line. "It's nothing," he muttered.

Kagome scoffed and stepped away from him. "Unbelievable," she grumbled under her breath. "Fine," she said in a louder voice. "If you want to go ahead and brood in the dark by yourself, be my guest!"

Before she could carry out the dramatic exit she envisioned in her mind, Inuyasha took Kagome's wrist and pulled her back. While she glared at him, Inuyasha smirked back at her, careful amusement evident in his eyes.

"Shouldn't you have outgrown this kind of behavior?"

Not expecting the sudden change in moods, Kagome stared at him, her confusion written plainly on her face.

"What?" she snapped. "Inuyasha—"

"Look, I just took some of the things you said personally, okay? It's my problem, not yours."

Immediately, Kagome froze. "What did I say?"

"It's stupid," Inuyasha dismissed. "I just came outside to cool off."

"I want to know what I said that upset you."

Inuyasha curled his lip. "I'm not _upset_ like some prissy little girl, okay? Just…" he ran a hand through his hair. "You said you wouldn't hold Kouga responsible for a handful of indiscretions when you had a history of good times together."

Kagome's mouth fell open. "Inuyasha…" She knew he was referring to her still ardent anger and hurt when he first returned from America. "I didn't mean… I'm sorry." She looked down at her feet. "Why am I always hurting you two?"

"We're canine youkai— we take blows to the ego personally," he shrugged.

After earning a dour look from Kagome, Inuyasha lost the disinterested façade and asked quietly, "Are you sure you want to separate from him?" His question caused Kagome to bring her eyes up to meet his. She heard his breath catch in his throat. "You love him," his tone far from a question.

"I love him," Kagome nodded slowly. She was quick to grasp at Inuyasha's wrist as he moved away. "Wait! _Please_ , listen to the rest of what I have to say…" Kagome swallowed and took a deep breath. "I love him. But I also love Miroku, Ginta, Hakkaku… am I making sense?"

"Mildly," Inuyasha grunted.

"I love him and maybe I thought I was in love with him… but I know that whatever I felt with Kouga— Inuyasha, don't make me say it."

"Why not?" Inuyasha urged.

"Because it's not fair to you to hear that when I can't promise anything to come from it right now!" Kagome shook her head. "Can't you see that I'm just trying to stop myself from breaking more hearts? _Especially yours_. You've already been hurt enough."

"You don't need to protect me, Kagome. I can take care of myself."

"Even from me?" Kagome looked away, hugging herself.

Inuyasha surprised her by chuckling lightly. "I can handle you," he joked.

Kagome couldn't help but smile wryly at him. She turned her eyes upwards to gaze at the clear sky. "… We were so young when we broke up and I guess I never really addressed my anger. But we've moved past that, haven't we?" With another heavy sigh, she continued, "As for your other question... Separating from him is the best decision for the both of us, even if he can't see it now. I'm moving forward."

Inuyasha watched her and sighed. He knew that was all he was going to get from her and he wasn't going to push her any further. "Come on. Let's go back inside."

"I'm not in the mood."

For once, Inuyasha knew it was better to acquiesce than to argue with her, and stood next to her, their arms brushing as they watched the moon climb high into the night sky. While Kagome kept her focus on the pale moon, Inuyasha contented himself with watching her peaceful expression as they stood in silence.


	32. Chapter 32

_Last Time…_

" _You don't need to protect me, Kagome. I can take care of myself."_

" _Even from me?" Kagome looked away, hugging herself._

_Inuyasha surprised her by chuckling lightly. "I can handle you," he joked._

_Kagome couldn't help but smile wryly at him. She turned her eyes upwards to gaze at the clear sky. "… We were so young when we broke up and I guess I never really addressed my anger. Shitty reason, but that's all I can say. But we've moved past that, haven't we?" With another heavy sigh, she continued, "As for your other question… Separating from him is the best decision for the both of us, even if he can't see it now. I'm moving forward."_

_Inuyasha watched her and sighed. He knew that was all he was going to get from her and he wasn't going to push her any further. "Come on. Let's go back inside."_

" _I'm not in the mood."_

_For once, Inuyasha knew it was better to acquiesce than to argue with her, and stood next to her, their arms brushing as they watched the moon climb high into the night sky. While Kagome kept her focus on the pale moon, Inuyasha contented himself with watching her peaceful expression as they stood in silence._

* * *

"That's the last of it, Kagome!" a voice echoed.

There was a thud as a heavy cardboard box landed onto the hardwood floor. Kagome looked up from where she knelt in front of an open box to glare at Souta. Kohaku stood behind Souta with his eyebrows raised and holding his own box. He made a point of gently placing it down onto the floor, earning a pleased look from Kagome.

"See, Souta? At least _some_ people know how to handle things delicately."

Souta rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to retort when his phone suddenly filled the apartment with its shrill ring. He took a cursory glance at the screen before shutting off his phone. Souta shoved the phone in his pocket and walked to Kagome, bending over to quickly give her a kiss on the cheek.

"Gotta go."

Kagome frowned. "Go? You just got here. And I thought we were all going to spend the day together… everyone else is coming by later."

"Something came up. I need to go. I should be back in time for dinner, but if not, I'll come by and help you unpack after school on Monday. You can give Jii-chan the room with the bigger closet— I don't need that much space!" Souta moved towards the door as he spoke in a rush, the words falling out of his mouth.

"Okay… See you—"

The door slammed shut and Kagome arched a brow at Kohaku. "Do you know where he's been hanging out lately?"

Kohaku shook his head and his lips twisted into a half frown. "To be honest, I haven't seen much of Souta in a while. I was looking forward to hanging out with him today."

With a huff, Kagome muttered under her breath, "That's not like him… Probably met a new girl." She peered around her and then back at the young man standing uncertainly in her bare living room. "Kohaku, I'm not going to keep you here like a prisoner. I know Souta probably dragged you along and now he went and abandoned you. I'm sure you have better things to do than help an old lady unpack."

"Aw, Kagome, you're not _that_ old."

Kagome laughed. "If I had cushions unpacked, you better believe one of them would have hit you in the face by now. Seriously though, go! Have fun. Be young and responsibly reckless."

Grinning toothily, Kohaku teased, "I'll be sure to tell my older sister that."

"Please do," Kagome quipped in return as she dug through a box marked with the characters for ' _KITCHEN_ ' in bold marker, delicately lifting up fragile dishware and placing them into piles around her.

"Are you sure you don't need any help?"

"Positive!" Kagome glanced up to offer a kind smile. "I mean it, Kohaku. If my own brother ditched me, you are _more_ than entitled to leave. Besides, your sister and Miroku will come by after their lunch date to help."

Kohaku nodded. "Okay… well see you then, Kagome."

Kagome beamed at him and said warmly, "Bye, Kohaku! Feel free to come by for dinner if you want and thanks again."

Finally alone, Kagome sat back on her heels and took in her new home. In the end, after a week of pensive consideration, she had decided that as much as it meant for her to keep her parents' gift to her, she needed a fresh start even more. She sent word through Hakkaku to Kouga of her intention to move out. That had been the prompt for the heartsore wolf youkai to finally allow her to come and visit him.

It was the first time the two had a calm, completely sober conversation in a long while, Kagome discovered. Kouga confessed that it wasn't the first time he had stumbled through Kabukicho looking for a fix. Kagome felt the guilt settle in her stomach for being so unaware of his struggle and apologized profusely.

" _Kouga, I'm so sorry," she said thickly._

_Kouga offered her a weak version of his smile, missing its usual bravado. "I think we've apologized to each other enough times," he said, his fatigue evident in his tone._

_Meeting his forlorn eyes, Kagome chewed on her lower lip anxiously. "And I guess Hakkaku told you that I'm moving out?"_

_His lips pressed together and brow furrowed, Kouga nodded silently in acknowledgement. "I wasn't expecting that," he admitted. "I would have understood if you wanted to keep it."_

_Kagome's lips sunk into a frown. She tried to offer him a smile, but it came out as more of a twisted grimace. "Fresh start," she said softly as a reminder._

_Kouga's eyes tightened. "Right." He avoided looking at her before asking, "When do I need to move out?"_

" _I… it's up to you. I'm moving out, but I'm not going to force you to move, too. The house is yours, I mean, if you want it."_

" _I'll find my own place," he said gruffly. "Go ahead and sell it."_

_Taken aback, Kagome said softly, "We can do it together. It's yours, too, and I want to make sure you have a place before—"_

" _Just sell the damn house, Kagome!"_

" _Don't do this," Kagome sighed. "Please don't."_

" _Don't what? Did you think we could_ brush this off _? Ignore it and pretend we can go back to being friends?" Kouga shook his head in disbelief. "That might have worked for you and Inuyasha, but I'm not like you, Kagome. Then again, maybe if I did that, you'd get back together with me. Worked for him, didn't it?"_

_Kagome's hands balled into fists in her lap. "Kouga, I told you we're not together."_

_Kouga met her eyes. "Inuyasha told me he kissed you."_

_The irritation melted off of Kagome with her next breath and her eyes widened in surprise. "He did?"_

" _Said he thought I deserved the truth. What about you, Kagome? Do you think I deserve the truth?"_

" _Of course. I just didn't know how you'd react."_

_Kouga snorted. "Not well." He lifted a hand to his throat vaguely in remembrance of the brawl between the two of them._

_Kagome's eyes pleaded for understanding. "I didn't want to stress you out more. You still had traces of the drugs in your system." She looked down at her hands. "I was scared."_

" _Where are you staying?" he asked roughly._

" _Sango and Miroku told me there were some available apartment units in the complex where they live. I found one and I'll be moving in by the end of next week. I just wanted to settle everything with the house first."_

_Fidgeting at his silence, Kagome began wringing her hands together. "Kouga?"_

_He huffed. "Sell it."_

_Kagome nodded uncertainly. Kouga answered her silent question, "I'm sure either Ginta or Hakkaku will let me crash until I find my own place."_

" _Okay," Kagome murmured. She rose out of the chair and shrugged on her coat. Her worry evident by the way she chewed on her lower lip, she commented, "You deserve your own fresh start, too."_

_Looking up at her coldly, he replied, "I didn't think I needed one." The silence grew thick between them. "I'll send the signed papers over to your office by tomorrow."_

" _I wasn't expecting… there's no rush. I don't have any—" As they just decided on selling the house, Kagome didn't have papers prepared to sign over the property nor did she find a real estate agent._

_Kouga glared at a spot on the wall. "The other papers. I don't want to drag this out more than necessary. I'd rather move on as soon as possible. I know you do."_

_Kagome gulped. "Okay," she said again. Before she could talk herself out of it, she leaned down and brushed her lips quickly against his cheek. Kouga tensed at her touch but otherwise remained still. "Let me know if you need any help packing or finding a place."_

_She was met with silence and a stony, conflicted glare before leaving the hospital._

Finally rearranging the couch, coffee table, and end tables in the living room, Kagome collapsed on the armchair she had just shuffled into place. She hoped she hadn't marked up the hardwood flooring as she pushed the furniture around, but she was too impatient to wait for Miroku and Sango to come by and help lift everything.

Still surrounded by piles of boxes, Kagome momentarily ignored them to enjoy the view afforded by the floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows. She let her mind drift aimlessly while staring at the skyline, slightly comforted by the idea that despite the fact that everything had turned on its head, she felt more like herself than she had for a long while.

* * *

"Come on, Inuyasha. Stop being so immature."

" _I'm_ being immature?"

Miroku rubbed one of his temples impatiently, turning around quickly to glance at Sango waiting down the hall. She was standing with her arms in front of her, her hands clasped together delicately. He shrugged at her before turning back to Inuyasha. "Even your mother is coming to dinner. What's gotten into you?"

Inuyasha didn't move from where he leaned against the doorway of the entrance to his apartment. He wore a pair of faded black joggers, obviously well worn, a plain white t-shirt, and was barefoot. Miroku raised an eyebrow.

"Actually, on second thought, maybe you shouldn't come over." That earned him a pointed glare from Inuyasha. He sighed dramatically. "Have it your way, Inuyasha. In any case, you'll know where to find us." Miroku leaned in closely and darted his eyes over to where Sango was before looking back at Inuyasha. "I was planning on giving everyone some pretty big news, if you know what I mean…"

A blank look of surprise settled over Inuyasha's face before a glimmer of something passed over in the golden depths of his eyes. Finally, his usual pout formed and Inuyasha cleared his throat gruffly. In a hushed whisper, he scoffed, "If Sango has any sense, she'll get out while she can."

Miroku ignored the bait of Inuyasha's intended barb and smiled good-naturedly instead. "I agree."

Inuyasha peered at Miroku from over his upturned nose and allowed, "But if she had any sense to begin with, then she never would have started going out with you in the first place." He glanced at Sango down the hall, who offered a kind smile. Inuyasha returned in kind with a brief nod. "You're a lucky bastard," he told Miroku.

The smile on Miroku's face stretched even wider. "I agree," he said again.

With a pseudo-defeated sigh, Inuyasha asked nonchalantly, "What time is dinner?"

"Tonight at five."

Inuyasha knit his brow in a small frown. "Have a meeting."

"You can come late. It's nothing formal. Sango and I just wanted to host dinner at the apartment and well… I'm not planning on asking her anything until after."

"I'll try to drop by before then."

"What kind of meeting?"

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at Miroku. "Nosy idiot," he muttered. He sighed and explained, "Meeting with the defense lawyer Kagome set me up with a while ago. Wants to go over evidence with me as well as Kagome's notes. Next round of evidence presentation is scheduled sometime in the next month. Got a notice."

"Wouldn't it be more prudent to have Kagome present as well?" Miroku asked.

Shifting his weight uneasily, Inuyasha evaded, "Yeah. I guess." He unknowingly began clenching his fingers. "I don't know. I haven't really spoken to her since she gave me this guy's contact information."

Miroku arched a brow. "Nothing?"

"Didn't I just say that?" Inuyasha grumbled back, irritated. "Besides official things concerning the possible— _probable_ — case against me, I haven't really talked to her since she moved in."

"That was nearly a month ago. Have you even been over?"

"She invited me in the beginning… but the invites stopped when I kept saying I was too busy."

Miroku snorted. "No shit. Too busy doing what, Inuyasha? You're still pulled from active duty."

Inuyasha's ears twitched restlessly as he glared at Miroku. "Thanks for the reminder," he grit out.

"Miroku?" Sango called out. "We need to get going."

The two men turned to face her and Miroku smiled and waved a hand in acknowledgement and to assure her that they'd be leaving soon. The smile fell from his face when he turned to face Inuyasha and was replaced with a stern frown.

"Wasn't this what you were waiting for? She's single. I don't know if you heard, but Kouga actually agreed to kyogi rikon. Papers are processed."

"He signed the papers?" Inuyasha frowned. "I wouldn't have expected that. I thought that he would've given Kagome a hard time and have the proceedings go through to saiban."

"You're telling me. Kagome won't go into any detail, but yeah, the divorce is final…" Miroku sighed. "Just so you know, we also invited Kouga to dinner tonight. A gesture of good faith to show him we're still friends. He said he'd try but… Sango and I highly doubt he'll show up, though. Apparently, he's been holed up in his apartment."

Inuyasha slowly processed the wealth of information Miroku was giving him. "He doing okay?"

Miroku shrugged. "Kagome says that Hakkaku and Ginta have been giving her updates. He's back at work, isn't he?"

"Been avoiding the bullpen. Hanging out with the cyber geeks instead." Inuyasha looked away when he heard footsteps and acknowledged Sango as she approached them.

"Are you two done yet?" She turned to Inuyasha with a look that demanded nothing but the utmost seriousness. "Inuyasha, we'd love to have you come over for dinner tonight, but if it takes this long to try and convince you to come, then we understand."

"I was just telling your boyfriend that I've got a meeting so I'll probably be late."

Sango blinked at him. It unnerved Inuyasha how similarly the expression was to the one Kagome often had on her face until he remembered how the two women had grown up together.

"You're coming?"

"Didn't I just say that?"

Ignoring his attitude, Sango gave Inuyasha a small smile. "I'm glad. It's been a while since we've seen you." She eyed his outfit. "You're going to your meeting in _that_?"

"Don't get your fucking panties in a twist, I'm going to change…" Inuyasha's voice trailed off when he caught the glare Sango was leveling at him. "Quit that. I'm not scared of you, Sango."

A brow quirked up. "You're not? You should be. I'm about to have your mother over for dinner."

"I'm a fucking adult Sango. I'm not scared of my own mother."

Sango smiled. "We'll see."

Inuyasha sputtered, "Quit that!"

Sango laughed. "See you later, Inuyasha." She waved behind her shoulder and called out, "Miroku, I'll be waiting in the car downstairs."

Inuyasha watched her walk away before glancing at Miroku out of the corner of his eye. Speaking out of the corner of his mouth, he muttered, "You sure you want to marry that?"

Miroku watched Sango walk away fondly, though Inuyasha wasn't sure whether he wasn't also staring at Sango's ass. "Certain," Miroku chirped.

"Fucking asking for it," Inuyasha commented.

"Inuyasha, getting an ass whipping from a woman like her is worth twenty women fawning at my feet."

Inuyasha nodded in approval and agreement. "You're not wrong," he admitted.

"Do me a favor?"

"Hell no."

"Think of it as an early wedding gift."

"Must be one hell of a favor."

"Talk to Kagome."

Turning to Miroku with an almost offended look on his face, Inuyasha started, "She just got divorced. She's not looking—"

Miroku held up his hands. "I'm not telling you to sleep with her—"

"Shocker."

Miroku gave Inuyasha a bland look. "But don't let her slip by again. Do us all a favor. We all know how you two feel about each other anyway. The way is clear."

Inuyasha remained silent, a contemplative glaze coming over him. "Sometimes it takes more than just how we feel about each other, Miroku," he said softly. His ears drooped slightly. "It's about the effect that our feelings have on each other and the people around us."

"That was surprisingly insightful. Who said that?"

"Kagome," Inuyasha replied bluntly.

"Yeah, well, Kagome's also scared of romance in general right now. Can't say she's had the best track record." Miroku clapped Inuyasha on the back supportively. "Give her the time she needs. Woo her."

Inuyasha snorted. "'Woo her'? That's your advice?"

Flashing a toothy grin that quickly turned into a smirk, Miroku replied, "Worked for me." He began to walk away, his smile returning. "With women as strong as those two, sometimes you just need time and persistence. You're a stubborn hanyou. Have plenty of both."

* * *

Izayoi smiled warmly at the scene unfolding in front of her, the newly engaged couple welcoming words of congratulations and love from the guests around the table. Sango still sat in her chair, frozen in shock, her responses delayed as she still stared in disbelief at the new engagement ring on her finger. Sango's father shook Miroku's hand with a jovial grin before taking Miroku by surprise and pulling him in for a rough, well-intentioned hug. Miroku's amethyst eyes comically bulged in shock before he laughed and rubbed the back of his neck embarrassedly after being let go.

Kagome's grandfather was speaking with Sango's mother, agreeing with the utmost solemnity to officiate the ceremony. Beneath the elderly man's sheer veneer of aloofness, it was apparent how happy and touched he was to be asked to officiate the wedding of a woman he had known since childhood and was like a sister to his granddaughter.

Izayoi's fond gaze settled on the aforementioned granddaughter. Kagome was seated next to Sango, holding her best friend's left hand and gushing over the ring, a beaming smile etched onto her face. Her arms wrapped around Sango's shoulders and they squeezed each other tightly, laughing through joyful tears. Kagome pulled away, still gripping Sango's shoulders.

With a soft whisper, as if a secret between the two friends, Kagome said earnestly, "I'm so happy for the two of you. You two are perfect for each other."

Sango blushed prettily and turned her hand over to grip Kagome's. "Thank you, Kagome."

"Of course."

Sango shook her head. "Not just for that— you were the one who convinced me not to give up on pursuing my feelings for him even throughout high school when he was a flirt."

"'Flirt' is putting it mildly." Kagome laughed under her breath. "He just needed time to grow up to be the man you deserve."

"Hey!" Miroku interjected. "I heard that." He pouted as he came up to stand behind Sango and Sango laughed before affectionately wrapping a hand around his neck to pull him down for a quick kiss. When he straightened, Miroku had a pleased smile.

Kohaku made crude vomiting sounds. "Get a room!"

Miroku's expression brightened even more. "To honor my future brother-in-law's request, I'd like to ask everyone to leave now—"

"Miroku!" Sango hissed, her cheeks bright red. Her eyes darted over to her parents, but her father merely stroked his goatee thoughtfully.

He glanced at his wife. "Not a bad idea, if you ask me. I'm ready to be a grandfather."

Sango's eyes widened while Kohaku began making disgusted facial expressions. Kagome shook her head at the excited look on Miroku's face while Sango's mother smiled bashfully.

"Masahiko!" she complained, looking at Izayoi and Katsumi apologetically.

To his credit, Kagome's grandfather busied himself with a sudden interest in Sango and Miroku's new kitten while Izayoi smiled understandingly.

"Congratulations to the both of you," she said kindly. "I'm sure Inuyasha's sorry he couldn't make it to share the news. I know he thinks highly of you two."

"Keh! Sango, maybe, but I could give two shi—"

Kagome's breath hitched in her throat as the sound of the door closing rang in her ears and a familiar pair of silvery-white ears came from the entrance hall into the dining room. He came into the room and the sulky appearance fell away. He locked eyes with her and stopped short.

Izayoi sighed. "At least you censored yourself," she said curtly.

Miroku looked between Inuyasha and Kagome before laughing a half second too late. "No worries, Izayoi. I think everyone here is used to Inuyasha's candidness."

Kagome blinked and smirked at Inuyasha. "Yeah, if that's what you want to call it."

It was like a knee jerk reaction. The blank look on Inuyasha's face became surly and he demanded, "What would you call it, then?

"Let's call it 'Rude Jerk Syndrome', to say the least." Before Inuyasha could retort, Kagome added, "But more importantly, I think you were about to congratulate Miroku and Sango on their new engagement."

"Oh, I am?"

"You were."

Inuyasha lazily dragged his eyes over to the couple. He strode towards them and surprised everyone by giving Sango a brief but firm hug. Then, he straightened and clipped the back of Miroku's head with a quick slap.

Kagome smiled in familiarity. "There it is," she murmured.

"I'm glad that your meeting didn't keep you, Inuyasha," Sango commented without concern, her arm automatically reaching out to rub the pink spot on Miroku's neck where Inuyasha slapped him.

"Keh! How could I not show up after this idiot told me what he was planning tonight?"

Sango arched an eyebrow and peered around Inuyasha to stare accusingly at her fiancé. " _That_ ' _s_ what you two were taking forever to talk about?"

Miroku smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "I wanted my best friend here," was all he could say. "And for you to be with the people you love most."

Sango blinked at him, touched, before granting him another quick kiss. Inuyasha rolled his eyes but couldn't stop the growing blush from the looks everyone gave him when Miroku referred to him as his best friend.

As the group cleared off the dinner table, Inuyasha was forced to sit by Sango and she handed him a plate saved for him.

"I still have a plate for Souta, Kagome," she added.

Kagome frowned. "I don't know what's holding him up. He said he'd be here as soon as he got out of work."

That piqued Inuyasha's interest. "Work?" he asked casually.

"He has a part time job at the tech store on campus. Fixes up computers and tablets for students."

Inuyasha turned to where Kohaku was playing with Kirara. "That true?"

Kohaku shrugged noncommittally. "As far as I know, it is."

Kagome shot Inuyasha a quizzical glance, a silent question written all over her face. Inuyasha shook his head. "It's nothing." He promised the younger Higurashi to keep the time when he dropped out of school a secret and Inuyasha intended to keep it.

Her expression suggesting that she would rather not let it go, Inuyasha shook his head again and Kagome sighed.

"So you had a meeting?" she asked. "Does that mean that you're back on active duty at work?"

"Wasn't at work. I was with Masahiro Matsuo."

Kagome leaned back, recognizing the name of her former law school classmate and Inuyasha's current defense attorney.

"And?"

Inuyasha evaded eye contact with Kagome. "He's sending you an e-mail," he grumbled.

Her expression stricken, she asked, "What's wrong?" though her tone silently asked, _'What have you done?'_

Inuyasha opened his mouth but his ears suddenly perked up and tensed, the triangular tips pointing straight up. His gold eyes darted towards the apartment door, tight with apprehension. Then, without further signal, he bolted up from his chair and rushed out the door.

Everyone else followed after uncertainly, hovering at the open doorway before several shots rang out.


	33. Chapter 33

_Last Time…_

_"Wasn't at work. I was with Masahiro Matsuo."_

_Kagome leaned back, recognizing the name of her former law school classmate and Inuyasha's current defense attorney._

_"And?"_

_Inuyasha evaded eye contact with Kagome. "He's sending you an e-mail," he grumbled._

_Her expression stricken, she asked, "What's wrong?" though her tone silently asked,_ 'What have you done?'

_Inuyasha opened his mouth but his ears suddenly perked up and tensed, the triangular_ _tips pointing straight up. His gold eyes darted towards the apartment door, tight with_ _apprehension. Then, without further signal, he bolted up from his chair and rushed out the door._

_Everyone else followed after uncertainly, hovering at the open doorway before several shots rang out._

* * *

Immediately, Kagome ran out of the door and into hall, desperately trying to figure out where Inuyasha went. Her heartbeat thudded within her chest and it was as if she was underwater and felt strangely detached from her senses, like a fog settled over her. Kagome was overwhelmed by a constant ringing in her ears that drowned out the sound of her friends and family calling out her name as she desperately searched. Several people opened up their apartment doors in puzzlement and murmuring aloud and asking each other what just transpired.

"Kagome!"

Kagome jumped and turned to see Sango running towards her, cradling the two-tailed cat to her chest.

"Kirara can find out where he is. We'll just follow her."

Looking dubiously at the small kitten, Kagome hesitated, but when Sango put the animal down, Kagome took a step back and cried out in shock when Kirara was engulfed in a burst of flames. When the flames dissipated, a larger version of the feline stood there, her fangs elongated and threatening. Her large paws and two tails were accompanied by their own small rings of flames.

"Sango?" Kagome asked weakly.

"She's a neko youkai."

Kagome scoffed. "I knew that from the two tails, but I didn't know she could turn into _that_." Despite her shock, Kagome stepped towards Kirara and held out a hand. The cat affectionately bumped her head against Kagome's hand and rumbled soothingly.

"Can you bring us to him, Kirara?"

Kirara mewled softly and to Kagome's increasing astonishment, glided through the air. Kagome and Sango ran after her and followed her up the emergency stairwell onto the roof, the access door detached from its hinges and laying several feet away. Whether it was from Kirara or Inuyasha, Kagome and Sango couldn't guess. Sango heard footsteps thundering after them and looked over her shoulder to see Miroku catching up to them. Without another thought, she reached out an arm and Miroku grasped her hand, running side by side with her.

The three of them found themselves at the edge of the building. Kirara prowled up on the ledge, her fangs bared as she paced back and forth. Her head was bowed and her eyes focused on something happening at street level.

Down below, they all saw Inuyasha brawling with several men. His stance was clearly defensive, which didn't surprise them. They knew that Inuyasha was always the protector, not the aggressor, and very rarely instigated the fight. Kagome leaned out over the edge and Miroku grasped the hem of her shirt to pull her back.

" _Kagome_!"

"Why is he… who is he… there has to be a reason…" she muttered.

Miroku's amethyst eyes widened as Kagome pulled against his hold and he was fast to lunge forward and wrap an arm around her torso as she leaned out farther over the edge.

Kagome clicked her tongue in annoyance. "I can't see— we're at the wrong angle. We have to go down!"

In her haste to rush downstairs, she fell against Miroku and the two toppled over backwards onto the asphalt. Miroku grunted as Kagome scrambled to get up, unintentionally jamming her elbows and knees into his more sensitive areas like his lower abdomen and colliding against his kneecaps and ribs.

Sango hurried to help him up and simultaneously wrap a hand around Kagome's wrist to pull her back. "I have a faster way! Kirara!"

The neko youkai leapt off of the edge and hovered so that her head was level with the ledge. Sango jumped off and landed onto her back without Kirara even registering the added weight. Sango moved forward and urged Kagome and Miroku.

"Come on!"

Miroku was quick to follow after Sango but Kagome balked slightly before her eyes darted back to the street. Then, she jumped onto the back, gripping tufts of Kirara's thick fur tightly before the four of them dove towards the ground. Kagome let out a small shriek and dug her hands into Kirara's fur even more, her fingers twisting into the thick hair.

When Kirara landed in almost no time, Kagome hopped off and ran towards where the fight was before her blood turned to ice in her veins and she froze. Behind Inuyasha, curled up and nursing a bloodied arm against his chest, his own face bruised and cut, was Souta.

Kagome ran towards him, vaguely hearing a shout. The sensation of a metal bar slamming into her abdomen jolted her and she realized it was her screaming Souta's name. The so-called bar that hit her was Miroku's arm holding her back. Kagome struggled against Miroku's hold until he pressed closer against her, his mouth on her ear.

"Don't draw attention," he hissed.

Kagome stopped and looked up at him but he was watching warily ahead of them. Kagome followed his line of sight and saw Inuyasha in a standoff with one remaining inuyoukai. The other two were slumped on the ground with their own injuries. Inuyasha was panting heavily, his claws grotesquely crusted with dried blood. Kagome's stomach dropped. There was a deep gash in Inuyasha's shoulder that sent rivulets of blood down his arm and another one in his lower abdomen by his right hip. She struggled against Miroku's hold, but Miroku held firm.

The last inuyoukai narrowed his eyes at Inuyasha, a carefully crafted mask of apathy on his face.

"What?" Inuyasha demanded. "Surprised that your buddies got beat by a fucking ' _half-breed_ '?"

"We have no issue with you, no matter your tainted heritage," the inuyoukai replied coolly, his thin lip curled. "We're merely sending a message through the boy."

Inuyasha sidestepped to block Souta from the youkai's gaze and flexed his claws, a popping sound coming from his knuckles. "Give me the fucking message."

"That's not how this works."

"You're going to have to fucking deal with it, then!"

Inuyasha lunged towards the inuyoukai and he moved smoothly out of the way and in a movement that neither Kagome, Miroku, nor Sango could discern with their human eyes, struck out and slashed across Inuyasha's back. Inuyasha arched, his mouth gaping in a silent scream. Tatters of the fabric of his shirt rippled in the soft evening wind.

Unperturbed, the inuyoukai turned towards Souta and strode purposefully towards him. Souta's eyes wide in fear and he began crawling backwards. Kagome screamed and fought against Miroku to run to Souta.

She broke free with a quick elbow to Miroku's solar plexus and her legs pounded against the pavement as she bolted towards her brother, the inuyoukai staring him down with a raised claw. Souta turned to meet her gaze, wide with terror.

" _Souta_!" Kagome screamed desperately.

The inuyoukai turned his bored look from her and back to Souta, raising an eyebrow inquisitively. "A Higurashi?"

Kagome flinched and blinked her eyes shut, throwing herself down onto the ground at the sound of a sharp _crack_ blaring around her. She slowly lifted her head, dread making her body numb as she looked to where Souta was. To her immense relief, he was still okay, staring at the body of the inuyoukai in front of him. Kagome crawled before finding her footing and running to him, wrapping her arms around him.

Souta still stared at the dead corpse no more than three feet away from them.

The inuyoukai lay on the ground, his gold eyes open and glazed. He remained pristine except for the blood on his claws and the crimson that slowly began to creep from a single point in his chest. Right through his heart.

The two siblings looked past the body to Inuyasha as he halfway sat up, leaning heavily against the alley wall, one arm still raised, holding the pistol. Inuyasha was sweating and grimaced as he tried to get up, tossing his gun away.

"None of us are fast enough to outrun or heal from a bullet through the heart, bastard," Inuyasha panted roughly.

He brushed off Miroku's hand and groaned, breath hissing through clenched teeth, as he got to his feet. One of his claws gouged the concrete as he gripped it.

Kagome brushed Souta's hair from his face, frantically looking him over. "You're okay?"

Souta nodded numbly. "Thanks to Inuyasha." He looked over at the hanyou with admiration and gratitude evident in his eyes.

Kagome pulled the two of them up before hurrying to Inuyasha's side, hugging him before jumping away when he made another hiss of pain. Sticky warmth coated her hands and her stomach dropped when she realized it was his blood.

"I'm sorry!" Kagome began.

"Don't," Inuyasha grunted. "You two are okay?" he asked.

"Thanks to you."

Sango frowned at the scene in front of them, hovering at an invisible border around the prone inuyoukai. "We better call the authorities. Especially before these two wake up."

"Don't bother. They'll be here in two minutes." Inuyasha rolled his eyes and scoffed, "Too fucking late."

Kagome frowned. "They can take a look at you. You're really hurt."

Inuyasha shook his head. "This is nothing."

Ignoring him, Kagome grabbed his uninjured arm and turned him around, sucking in a sharp breath when she saw his back. Inuyasha's flesh was torn, the blood sluggishly seeping out, drenching his entire back in a dark crimson— nearly black at this point— color. Scraps of his torn shirt had entered the wound so that Kagome couldn't differentiate between the bloodstained fabric and flayed skin. Fresh waves of blood oozed with every one of his breaths.

"Inuyasha, this isn't nothing," she insisted adamantly. "You need to get this checked out."

Inuysha pointed a bloody finger at Miroku heatedly. "Got a doctor right here, don't I?"

Miroku's eyes roved over him. "I can't see much of anything— there's so much blood. We need to get you cleaned up."

"Great. Let's get back to the apartment."

"Inuyasha Takado, I swear to kami, if you don't go to the hospital, I'll knock you out myself and drag you there by the ears!" Kagome yelled, her voice shaky despite the anger fueling her temper.

"Kagome's right. And I'd rather not have your blood stain my furniture."

Sango clicked her tongue in disapproval. "Miroku, now's not the time," she snapped.

"Keh! This is nothing!"

"If you're not going to the hospital, then neither am I."

Inuyasha glared at Souta over Kagome's head. "Over my dead body, kid. You're going."

"I'm a fucking adult, Inuyasha. I have the right to make the same decisions as you!"

Before Inuyasha or Kagome could retort, the alleyway was swarmed with police and emergency medical services, who all gaped at the scene in front of them.

"What the fuck…" one of the patrol officers muttered. "Inspector Takado?" he asked in confused recognition.

Kagome ran to the ambulance where the paramedics were just getting out.

"My friend is severely injured but he's refusing medical assistance. Do you have anything for stubborn hanyous?"

"Oi!"

Inuyasha stomped over to Kagome, but Kagome could discern the shakiness to his stride. The patrolman from earlier came towards them, calling out Inuyasha's name again. Kagome watched as the sun set further into the horizon and the orange glow of the streetlights cast harsh shadows on Inuyasha's face. Inuyasha slowed his pace, sweat coming down his temples while his complexion turned pale.

Kagome took a hesitant step towards him. "Inuyasha?"

His breathing was labored. "I told you… I don't… need… fucking doctors."

As he approached, Kagome saw the darkness of his eyes and gasped, running forward and just managing to catch him. Inuyasha fell to his knees abruptly and slumped forward with Kagome supporting his torso as best as she could, falling backwards and getting entangled under his weight.

" _Help him_!" she screamed. Looking skyward, Kagome saw the clear night sky, darker than usual and devoid of any light from the moon.

The night of the new moon.

Angling herself and leaning back so she could push back the transforming fringe over Inuyasha's forehead, Kagome stared into his taupe-colored eyes, tight with pain. Under her hands, Inuyasha shuddered and his silver hair darkened into a hue of black identical to Kagome's. Inuyasha grit his teeth and screwed his eyes shut, his breath hissing through his teeth as he groaned lowly in pain. His face was clammy and sweat dotted his hairline.

"Inuyasha?" she whispered. Kagome's hands hovered lightly over him, not wanting to further agitate him.

Inuyasha's breaths were shallow and he gripped Kagome's waist tightly after another wave of pain wracked through his body.

Kagome shook her head, cooing soothing words. When he closed his eyes, she yelled again, her voice hoarse, "Get him to the hospital!"

"We know Kagome," Miroku crooned, using his calming, professional voice but his usually serene expression was forced. "We just need you to shift back a little bit more. We need to put him on the stretcher face down so we don't aggravate his back."

"He— he's bleeding from his hip. I- it— I can feel it."

Miroku's face darkened and Kagome demanded, "What? What does that mean?"

"I can't say until we get to the hospital."

"Miroku, tell me!"

"I can't say for sure, Kagome!" Miroku said exasperatedly. He looked up and backed away to give way to the paramedics with the stretcher.

"Ma'am, if you could get him to let go of you, that'd be helpful," one of them said kindly, though a bit urgently.

Kagome reached down and took Inuyasha's hands, tugging gently so that he wasn't fisting them into her blouse. Inuyasha groaned and shuddered, but his eyes remained closed and didn't otherwise move.

The first paramedic looked to the other one. "Alright, on my count: one— two— _three_."

They each picked up Inuyaha from both ends and quickly transferred him onto the stretcher before rushing the gurney into the ambulance. The two yelled at each other, saying phrases like 'hypovolemic shock' and 'tachycardia'. Kagome sat frozen on the alley ground, staring at the blood that saturated her front, vividly reminded of when it was her father's blood staining her.

"Where are you taking him?" Miroku called out.

"Tokai University Hospital!" one of them yelled over their shoulder before jumping into the back and having the two doors close.

Sango sank down and grasped Kagome's hands. "Kagome, we need to go. We have to let Izayoi know, too."

Kagome blinked and nodded immediately. "I'll go with you."

"No, nee-chan. Get to the hospital!"

"Excuse me, ma'am. Was that Inspector Takado they just took away in the ambulance?"

Kagome turned and blankly stared at the patrol officer. She knit her eyebrows together in a confused frown. "Yes."

"Do you have a few moments to tell us what happened?"

Sango huffed. "No, no she doesn't. She needs to get to the hospital and be with Inuyasha."

The patrol officer raised his hands in a placating manner, but Sango continued.

"If you want someone to blame, blame _those_ three!" She jabbed a finger at the two prone inuyoukai and the one body still on the alley ground. "They attacked first. You want to speak to someone, speak with me. But she's going."

Sango turned to Souta and Miroku. "You're going with her," she said, with no room for argument in her tone. "Souta, you need to get checked out— I don't want to hear it— and Miroku, call Izayoi on the way there. You three can go on Kirara."

Kagome was suddenly aware of the warmth nuzzling against her side and realized that the still-transformed neko youkai was pressing itself against her reassuringly. Kagome ran her fingers through Kirara's thick fur. Kirara rumbled soothingly at her and Kagome understood that signal to climb on.

As Miroku and Souta settled behind her, Kagome locked eyes with Sango and began to apologize for how everything had ruined her and Miroku's engagement.

Sango shook her head, her dark brown eyes fierce. "Family first," was all she said.

Kirara lifted off and carried the three across Shibuya.

* * *

A nagging feeling stirred Kagome from her unconscious state. It was much too restless for her to refer to it as sleep. She groaned softly as she lifted her head from where it was pillowed on her forearms, her back aching from the awkward angle as she bent over to rest on the edge of the bed. Her eyes immediately went to Inuyasha.

The staff was urgent in doing their best to staunch the blood loss as soon as possible upon his arrival. Apparently, the gash on his right hip was deep enough to nick what the doctor called the 'lateral circumflex femoral artery'. That had been enough for Miroku to nod his head gravely in understanding and raise Kagome's anxiety. She didn't know much, but she knew enough to know that damage to any artery was serious.

Inuyasha's flayed back didn't help matters, either. Even as a hanyou, the pain would register, but he was human. It explained why he had passed out. The doctors were amazed he didn't immediately pass out, the pain would have been excruciating. All they could do was hook him up to an IV, apply pressure to the wounds, and wait it out until sunrise.

His complexion was still pale, though it lacked the scarily grey pallor it had adopted before. What was most astonishing was that his fatigued eyes were open and focused on her.

Kagome rose to her feet and looked him over. "Are you in pain? I can call a nurse if you want to adjust the level of your pain medication."

Inuyasha shook his head slightly. "Water," he croaked out.

"I can't. The doctors said you've lost too much blood and giving you water would actually be counterproductive." Kagome frowned sympathetically. "I can give you a few ice chips."

Inuyasha jerked his head in a gruff nod. He opened his mouth and gratefully accepted the thin ice that Kagome carefully fed him.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice slightly less raspy than before.

"Me? Inuyasha, _you_ ' _re_ the one in the hospital bed."

Inuyasha blinked slowly and Kagome knew he was fighting the rest his body desperately needed. Kagome ran her fingers through his hair, gently massaging his scalp. He sighed contently.

"Sleep," she ordered softly. "You'll feel better in the morning and we can talk about it, then. We're safe. Everyone's safe because of _you_." Kagome laughed quietly. "Always playing the hero."

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha tried to grouch at her, but she knew he was slipping away into unconsciousness away again.

"Sleep," she said once more. "We have tomorrow."

Inuyasha swallowed roughly and sighed. "You promise?" he asked, echoing her words from when their situations were reversed.

Kagome smiled. His dark grey-brown eyes disappeared behind his lids and he settled back into sleep. She sat back down and took one of his hands, careful of his IV. "I promise."


	34. Chapter 34

_Last Time…_

_Inuyasha jerked his head in a gruff nod. He opened his mouth and gratefully accepted the thin ice that Kagome carefully fed him._

_"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice slightly less raspy than before._

_"Me? Inuyasha,_ you're _the one in the hospital bed."_

_Inuyasha blinked slowly and Kagome knew he was fighting the rest his body desperately needed. Kagome ran her fingers through his hair, gently massaging his scalp. He sighed contently._

_"Sleep," she ordered. "You'll feel better in the morning and we can talk about it, then. We're safe. Everyone's safe because of_ _you_ _." Kagome laughed quietly. "Always playing the hero."_

_Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha tried to grouch at her, but she knew he was slipping away into unconsciousness away again._

_"Sleep," she said once more. "We have tomorrow."_

_Inuyasha swallowed roughly and sighed. "You promise?" he asked, echoing her words from when their situations were reversed._

_Kagome smiled. His dark grey eyes disappeared behind his lids and he settled back into sleep. She sat back down and took one of his hands, careful of his IV. "I promise."_

* * *

"That pain medication must be doing its job. He's on cloud nine. Of course, that could also just be due to the fact that he woke up to you by his side."

Kagome turned and saw Kouga staring at Inuyasha from where he leaned against the wall. Kouga pushed off and walked up to the foot of the bed, his brow furrowed as he continued to stare at Inuyasha's face.

"Kouga?"

"I know I'm not exactly the first person you'd expect to see. But this is more of a professional visit than a personal one." Kouga shifted slightly and Kagome could see the tendons of his forearms flex as he tightened them tightly over his chest, his hands fisted against his ribcage.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"A while," he said in a clipped tone. "The two of you have been sleeping the past hour since I got to the hospital and I've been coming in and out until you woke up."

"Oh." Kagome wanted to crawl under the bed. She had never felt so awkward and inadequate.

Kouga seemed to take pity on her and sighed. "I was planning to drop by Miroku and Sango's earlier, but got caught up at work and figured I was too late. I was actually on my way home when I heard about it on the scanner."

Kagome frowned. "I'm… I'm not sure what happened, to be honest. Inuyasha must have heard— no he _definitely_ heard something and then he bolted out of the apartment. Then we all heard gunshots and ran after him. That's when we saw him—"

"Fighting those three inuyoukai. I gathered as much from the reports."

"It was more than that… he was protecting Souta."

Kouga raised his eyebrows. "Souta? You mean they weren't after Inuyasha?"

"Souta was curled up behind Inuyasha, already beaten." Kagome furrowed her brow. "One of them… he said something about sending a message through Souta… I still don't understand why they were looking for Souta in the first place. Could it be the same group that killed Dad?"

Kouga nodded grimly, his mouth pressed into a thin line. "Could be. Can't rule out the possibility. And there's too many coincidences. A group of criminal inuyoukai out to kill your dad? And a different one out for Souta? Most likely the same group gunning after him."

"What do they want with us?" Kagome lowered her head. "Which one of us is the real target?"

Kagome blinked when she felt pressure around her hand and saw that Inuyasha had woken up again. He grunted and sat up slightly, panting from the effort. Inuyasha glared at nothing in particular as he recovered from the pain, his chest heaving, and Kagome knew he was angry at himself for being human. She rubbed her thumb across the top of his knuckles comfortingly, expecting him to bristle at the touch, but Inuyasha allowed it.

"Bastard said he was sending a message through 'the boy'."

"I thought you were sleeping," Kagome said, a hint of accusation in her voice.

"Who the hell can sleep when the two of you are yapping at each other— agh!" Inuyasha winced again as another flare of pain racked through him.

"I'm calling the nurse to adjust your pain medication. I know that's what's keeping you up." Kagome made to get up, but Inuyasha tightened his hold on her hand.

"Leave it! Can't talk about this in front of her," he said gruffly. He gasped out another harsh breath as he turned to Kouga. "He didn't recognize Souta until Kagome screamed out his name. He was surprised that they were targeting a Higurashi."

"The hit on Souta had nothing to do with who his family was." Kouga scratched at his jaw thoughtfully. "You find out anything else?"

"No, that's when I shot him."

Inuyasha stared at Kouga while Kouga stared back in silence. Kagome chewed on her bottom lip anxiously.

"Inuyasha had no choice," she began. "That youkai was going to kill us—"

"He's not in trouble."

"He's not?"

"I'm not?"

Kouga shook his head. "You're still suspended from active duty, but you used your own gun, not your duty gun. We have it in evidence and forensics is doing ballistics to make sure it corroborates with Sango's statement. And most importantly, you were acting under duress and in the defense of a third party." He sighed. "Come on, dumbass, you know that."

Inuyasha curled his lip in a sneer. "I'm not exactly the department's favorite person right now."

"That's politics. But ask anyone in the bullpen, they all know you're innocent."

"Keh! Even Miyazawa?"

"Miyazawa is a racist bastard. He was waiting for something like that nightclub raid to turn on you."

Inuyasha snorted. "Got that right," he muttered.

"I just came to get your side of the story. Now that I have it, I should go and call back to the station before calling it a night."

Kagome turned in her seat, looking through her bag for her phone. "What time is it?"

"Close to four in the morning."

"Fuck," Inuyasha hissed. He had been hoping it would be closer to dawn than that.

"Will you let me get the nurse now?" Kagome asked wryly.

"If it bothers you so much, go ahead." Inuyasha said lowly, clenching his jaw against what felt like fire streaking across his entire back.

Kagome rolled her eyes before rising from her seat. She raised her arms above of her head, her back cracking after being bent at an awkward angle for so long. On her way out the door, Kagome tentatively placed a hand on Kouga's shoulder and gave a small smile.

"It's good to see you, Kouga."

He nodded woodenly at her, venturing a tight half-smile. When she left, Kouga looked over at Inuyasha.

"She happy?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Haven't seen much of her in the past month."

"Bullshit."

"Today was the first time I've seen her since I helped her move into her new place about a month ago. Then, it's just been a couple of phone calls or texts. Mostly about my case." Inuyasha twisted his mouth. "Just about the case," he amended.

The corners of Kouga's mouth fell into a worried frown. "Why?"

"She tried to tell you, you dumbass. It's not about me. It's about _her_." Inuyasha groaned again as he shifted. "I'm not trying to force her into anything she's not ready for or _doesn't want_."

Kouga narrowed his eyes. "Is that what I did?"

"Don't be so fucking sensitive," Inuyasha spat. "Didn't say your name, did I?"

"Not that it's any of my business, but I just thought you should know that the _only_ reason I let her go so easily was because I thought she'd find her happiness with you. That's all I want. I still love her."

Inuyasha's face turned to stone. "You're right. It's not your business."

The two stared coldly at each other in silence until Kagome walked in, immediately hesitating at the threshold. She looked warily between the two.

"The nurse will be by soon… what happened in here? It's like the temperature went down a few degrees. Or a few dozen."

"Nothing," Kouga said curtly, while Inuyasha remained silent.

Kagome raised her eyebrows but otherwise said nothing. She looked over Inuyasha. "Honestly, how's the pain?"

Inuyasha dragged his eyes away from his staring match with Kouga. "Bearable," he said in a clipped voice.

Narrowing her eyes at him, Kagome reached for the thin covers and pulled them away, ignoring Inuyasha's outrage and lightly batting away his hands as he tried to fend her off. Inuyasha's cheeks took on color as he tried to pull the covers up over his legs, the hospital gown only reaching mid-thigh.

"Fucking— quit it!"

Kagome continued to ignore him and her gaze settled on the splotch of red on his lower right side before traveling to where there were spots on the sheets under his back.

"Stop struggling before you open up your wounds, I just—" Kagome's expression turned grim. "Inuyasha, you're bleeding through," she said quietly.

Inuyasha gulped. It wasn't her usual brand of quiet. It was the kind that was foreboding and hinted at her anger.

"It's nothing."

"When are you going to get it through your thick head that it's _not_ nothing? You should've woken me up as soon as you realized you were bleeding out again. Stop torturing yourself. It's okay to feel pain! You're human! I know you hate to hear it, but you're human! This can kill you!"

"Excuse me, but I'm going to have to ask the both of you to leave the room until Inspector Takado is settled again. This kind of agitation isn't helping matters." The older nurse directed her stern gaze to Inuyasha. "As for you, Inspector Takado, your friend is correct and you're far from out of the woods. You have the next two hours to get through before your supernatural endurance and regenerative abilities kick in."

Taking a shaky breath, Kagome rushed out of the room. Kouga looked back at Inuyasha and inclined his head at him.

He called over his shoulder, "See you at the station, mutt."

"Fuck off." Inuyasha ignored the disapproving glance the nurse gave him and glowered at her when she used a less than delicate touch when changing his dressings and checking the IV stuck in his hand.

"You know she cares for you, right?" she said tightly as she turned Inuyasha onto his side and changing his bloodstained sheets. "That girl was at your side the moment you were wheeled out of surgery and she hasn't left since. _Demanded_ to know where you were the second she landed on the back of that huge cat… arrived mere seconds after you did in a state of absolute panic—"

Inuyasha's expression softened and he muttered, "I know."

The nurse looked up from her ministrations and had a slightly less severe expression on her face. She straightened up and pulled the blankets up over him.

"It's not my place to say—"

"Then don't." A beat. "Please."

"It's very clear that you are dear to her and that the same goes for you as well. I hope that this incident goes to show how fragile life can be, even for a hanyou. I've worked in this hospital for over a quarter of a century and I've seen too many missed chances."

Inuyasha gaped at her, his taupe eyes wide. He blinked and cleared his throat. "Unsolicited advice, but I'll keep it in mind," he replied, his gentle tone taking away the gruffness of his words.

"I've also upped the dosage of your pain meds so that by the time you wake up, you'll be back to normal, save for a lot of soreness. After that, you'll be free to go. But take it easy."

"Thank you."

The nurse smiled, taking Inuyasha by surprise. "I wish you all the best, Inspector Takado. I hope I don't see you again anytime soon."

"Yeah, me too," Inuyasha mumbled. He felt a cloud of fatigue come over him and a strange numbness fill his body.

He blinked, or at least he thought he did, because the next time he opened his eyes, his mother was sitting at his bedside, a nearly finished crossword puzzle in her hands. Inuyasha knew that he was still human from his muted senses and looked down at his hands with a sigh, their clawless state confirming his suspicions.

Izayoi glanced up at the soft sound and folded her puzzle. "How are you feeling?" she asked gently.

Inuyasha smacked his lips together, making a face at the cotton mouth feeling. "Groggy," he mumbled.

Izayoi laughed under her breath. "The nurse told me you would be out of it for a while with the pain medication." The smile fell off of her face. "You had a lot of us worried, as I'm sure you know. When Sango returned, I certainly wasn't expecting to hear that you had landed yourself in the hospital… _again_. And on the night of a new moon. You're usually so cautious."

She held a hand up as Inuyasha began to counter. "I know. I'm very aware you saved Souta's life." Izayoi sighed and stared into Inuyasha's dark eyes, her own glistening with unshed tears. "Your nobility will be the death of you."

"Mom…"

"I'm very proud of you, Inuyasha. As usual. But you have to understand that this has been a stressful year for me. A stressful few weeks." Izayoi laughed breathlessly as a tear escaped. "I wish you'd visit more. I worry."

Inuyasha felt thoroughly scolded and he sank into his bed. "I'm sorry."

"What's done is done. Like I said, I'm just glad everything's okay. Doctors said you'll be back to full health by tonight, barring some soreness. I told Miroku to go home hours ago… He dropped Souta off as well."

"He's okay?"

"Cuts and bruises. Broken arm." Izayoi's face softened with pride. "Would have been a completely different story if it wasn't for you."

Squirming uncomfortably, Inuyasha pouted and Izayoi knew well enough to stop doting on him, although her lips remained quirked in a slight smile.

"I saw Kouga leave earlier when I left to get some food for Kagome and I."

Inuyasha looked at her from the corner of his eye but stayed quiet. Izayoi arched a brow at him. He rolled his eyes and relented, "Came by to say I'm in the clear for killing that one inuyoukai and to get my side of the story for the official report."

"Kagome mentioned that. I'm glad to hear the two of you didn't start an altercation."

"I'm not really in the best condition for that, Mother," Inuyasha snarked.

"When has that ever stopped you, Inuyasha?" she asked dryly.

Inuyasha grunted in dismissal. "Where is she anyway?"

Izayoi leaned back in her seat and Inuyasha looked past her to see Kagome curled up on two chairs pushed together, pillowing her head on her arm. He frowned in disapproval.

"I told her to go home with Miroku, but she insisted on staying here. It's better that she sleep that way than hunched over the side of your bed like earlier…" Izayoi frowned sympathetically. "Understatement of the century to say she's seen enough hospital rooms."

Shaking his head slowly, Inuyasha kept his taupe eyes trained on Kagome. "She deserves better, Mom," he whispered.

Izayoi reached out to grasp her son's hand and hold it tightly, looking at him meaningfully. "Kagome deserves the freedom to choose whatever she desires," she clarified. "Isn't that what everything's been about?"

"Kagome's already had to make impossible choices. I don't want to hurt her even more."

"Darling, that's the beauty of life— having the chance to make your own decisions for yourself. Besides, I think you're a reward that far outweighs the risk."

"You're my mother, you have to say that."

"Perhaps," Izayoi allowed. "But I trust the two of you to make decisions that benefit the both of you mutually."

Inuyasha shook his head. "I feel like I'm wandering in the dark. But Kagome…"

Nodding her head in understanding, Izayoi agreed. "It's as if your whole world is turned on its head and you can't find your gravity until you're with her. Everything settles. Everything is ok as long as you're together."

Smiling to herself sadly, Izayoi admitted, "It's how I felt around your father. Every moment with him was like—"

"Coming home," Inuyasha finished.

"Maybe the two of you end up together, maybe you don't. Just make sure that neither of you have any regrets about lost opportunities. I think we're all a little tired of the constant state of anticipation for a decision."

"Right, I forgot that whether we get into a relationship is for your benefit."

Izayoi laughed. "I love Kagome, and would love to see the two of you end up together, but I want you _both_ to be happy. If it's not together, so be it. Just so you know, I would like to be a grandmother one day."

Inuyasha's cheeks turned pink and he stammered wordlessly. Then, he was distracted by the sudden clarity in his eyesight. Colors became more vivid and details sharper. He wrinkled his nose at the strong scent of antiseptic, illness, and death that often accompanied hospitals. Finally, his hearing amplified and sounds thrummed in his ears, which he could now feel twitching on the top of his head. Inuyasha looked down and saw his clawed hands and touched his tongue to his fangs.

"Finally," he grumbled. As he spoke, he felt the pain in his body diminish and become bearable in a way unlike that dim fogginess the pain medication caused.

Running her fingers through his silver hair affectionately, Izayoi nuzzled her face against the crown of his head affectionately, much like when Inuyasha was younger.

"I'll have your discharge papers prepared at the nurse's station."

Inuyasha watched his mother leave and gingerly pulled the IV out from his hand and rising from the bed, stretched and lightly jogged in place to get his blood pumping. He turned when he heard a slight shift in Kagome's breathing. He saw her blink her eyes open in confusion and rub them before sitting up with a groan.

"Should you be doing that?" she asked groggily.

Inuyasha crouched down in front of her so she could see he had reverted back to a hanyou. "Wanted to get my blood flowing after lying down for twelve hours. Unlike some people, I don't like being lazy and sleeping my life away."

Kagome sniffed indignantly. "Sleeping your life away or sleeping to save your life?"

"Doesn't matter."

Inuyasha looked at the bag at Kagome's feet. "Got clothes for me?"

"It _does_ matter. And yes, your mother brought it. She didn't have time to pass by your place so Sango gave her some of Miroku's clothes."

Deftly catching the t-shirt and sweatpants she tossed up at him, Inuyasha pulled the curtain around the bed before peeling his hospital gown away from his body.

"You know, it's nothing I haven't seen before," Kagome teased.

Inuyasha froze. He knew from her singsong tone that Kagome was joking around with him, but something about her words still stirred something within him.

"Inuyasha?"

"I'm okay," he called out, his voice annoyingly high-pitched. He pulled on the sweatpants before pulling the curtain back to glare at her. Kagome grinned back, warmth in her eyes.

"You know you didn't have to stay here all night."

"Of course I did," she said simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Would you have left me?"

"Of course not," Inuyasha said immediately. "Are you out of your goddamn mind?"

Kagome shook her head. "No more than you," she countered.

Inuyasha scoffed before pulling the shirt over his head. "You ready?"

"Ready?"

"What are you, a parrot?"

Kagome scowled at him. "Seeing as I just woke up after a horrible night, no I'm not ready."

"Get changed and let's go."

"Go where?"

"Where else? I'm fucking hungry."

"Inuyasha, it's sunrise. Nothing is open."

"I own my own café and if they plan to open on time, there should be people there by now."

Kagome laughed. "Slave driver."

"Coffee shops are a cutthroat business."

Still laughing, she grabbed the extra set of clothes Sango had put into the bag and walked into the ensuite bathroom. While she disappeared in there, Inuyasha left to join his mother at the nurse's station and sign his discharge papers. When he returned to the room, Kagome came out moments later, her hair pulled back into a messy ponytail, the hairline slightly damp from when she splashed her face with cold water. She wore a plain t-shirt and a well-worn pair of jeans.

"All set?" he asked, trying but failing to keep a brooding pout on his face.

"Yeah, I'm ready for food." Her stomach rumbled on cue but Kagome laughed it off instead of blushing with embarrassment. "Is Izayoi coming with us?"

"No, I put her in a cab and she's going home. Said something about being too old to be up all night."

"So it's just us?"

Inuyasha crossed his arms. "Anyone else you wanted to invite?"

"Just making sure." Kagome slung the bag over her shoulder, relenting when Inuyasha took it from her, ignoring her protests about his back.

"Hanyou now," he reminded her, his ears flicking.

Kagome reached up to tweak one of them. "How could I forget?"

"Come on, weirdo. I'm hungry."

Inuyasha stomped out of the room and down the hall, hearing Kagome trailing after him. He slowed his pace when her small hand slipped into his. Looking down in surprise, Kagome met his gaze with a soft smile that he found himself returning.


	35. Chapter 35

_Last Time…_

" _All set?" he asked, trying but failing to keep a brooding pout on his face._

" _Yeah, I'm ready for food." Her stomach rumbled on cue but Kagome laughed it off instead of blushing with embarrassment. "Is Izayoi coming with us?"_

" _No, I put her in a cab and she's going home. Said something about being too old to be up all night."_

" _So it's just us?"_

_Inuyasha crossed his arms. "Anyone else you wanted to invite?"_

" _Just making sure." Kagome slung the bag over her shoulder, relenting when Inuyasha took it from her, ignoring her protests about his back._

" _Hanyou now," he reminded her, his ears flicking._

_Kagome reached up to tweak one of them. "How could I forget?"_

" _Come on, weirdo. I'm hungry."_

_Inuyasha stomped out of the room and down the hall, hearing Kagome trailing after him. He slowed his pace when her small hand slipped into his. Looking down in surprise, Kagome met his gaze with a soft smile that he found himself returning._

* * *

Inuyasha slowed his chewing and glared at Kagome from over his plate of fried pork and ginger. He swallowed loudly and demanded, "What?"

Kagome unsuccessfully tried to hide her grin and pretended to be focused on meticulously spreading marmalade on her toast. "Nothing," she said cheerfully before nibbling on the edge of her toast.

Leaning back into his seat, Inuyasha narrowed his tawny eyes at her. "Spill it."

"I'd rather not, Inuyasha. This miso soup is really good and helping to warm me up."

With a scoff, Inuyasha rose from the table and disappeared into the back behind a door marked off for employees. Kagome stared after him in puzzlement and tried to ignore the stares from the staff while she picked at her food. She was shocked to say the least when a large sweatshirt was thrust in between her and her plate several minutes later, causing her to go cross-eyed as she focused on the article of clothing.

"What's this?" she asked, taking it from Inuyasha and draping it over her shoulders.

"What's it look like? A sweater so you don't freeze. You can't be going out in the middle of January in nothing but a t-shirt," he scolded.

Kagome pointed her chopsticks at him, a few grains of rice flying across the table. "It was nice enough of Sango to think that far ahead and loan me clothes at all. If I recall correctly, I wasn't dressed properly because _someone_ had to go and nearly get himself killed, making me run after him without packing appropriately."

Inuyasha flicked an errant grain of rice back at her for her sarcasm, pleased at the annoyed wrinkle of her nose.

"Nearly," he reminded her.

"Close enough," Kagome insisted.

"Is that why you keep watching me eat like I'm about to break? You heard the doctors last night. I'll be fine by the end of the day. I'll probably end up taking out their stitches in an hour."

Kagome gulped her spoonful of soup. "Make it five."

"Three."

Lifting a brow at him, Kagome blinked in surprise. "That was easy."

"Too tired and too damn hungry to go through the whole process." Inuyasha punctuated his point by shoveling several scoops of rice and natto into his mouth. "We both know we would've reached a compromise anyway."

Kagome smiled wryly. "Do we?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at her. "You know you always end up getting your way."

With an expression of disbelief, Kagome scoffed, "Hardly!"

Leaning in, Inuyasha whispered conspiratorially, " _Always_."

He grinned when Kagome rolled her eyes and harrumphed before chewing on her toast again in stony silence. He took a helping of his pork and dropped it on her plate.

"Wh—"

"You need more protein. You lost weight. Almost blew away in the wind."

Kagome relented and ate some of the meat, earning a satisfied smirk from Inuyasha.

"Lots of changes in the past year…"

Inuyasha looked up and watched as Kagome chewed absentmindedly, her cheek resting on one propped up arm while she stared over Inuyasha's shoulders to the quiet street that the café was located on. He lowered his chopsticks and reached across the table to brush his fingers against hers. Kagome's eyes slid to his expectantly.

"It's a new year," he reminded her.

She frowned. "I never asked. How was your Christmas?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Spent it with Mom. Went out for drinks with Miroku the night after. He said you declined his and Sango's invitation, too?"

"Preferred to have a quiet night with Jii-chan and Souta. Made nikujaga— using Dad's recipe, of course. Meant to visit his, Mama, and Nii-chan's graves, but the weather was so horrible, and then, Souta and I couldn't manage to coordinate our schedules so I kept pushing it off."

"Let's go."

"What do you mean?"

"This is the mildest the weather has been for a while. And it's early and quiet."

"A cemetery is hardly ever bustling with people."

Inuyasha made a face at her, unappreciative of her cheek. "I just mean, you know for sure that no one else is there, except for maybe the caretakers. You can take your time and talk to them."

Sooner than she could anticipate, Kagome felt her eyes begin to sting.

"Oi! Quit that!" Inuyasha shoved a napkin in her face.

Kagome pushed his hand aside and blinked rapidly, forcing the tears to recede. "It's fine," she sniffled. "You remember that?" she asked in a small voice.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I remember everything about you?" Inuyasha replied, his voice soft with rare tenderness.

"You could tell me every minute of every day but I don't think it would get through to me."

Inuyasha furrowed his brow, hurt evident in his eyes. "Is it that hard to believe?"

"Not that you would remember, but that those little things are worth remembering."

Shifting uncomfortably, Inuyasha pulled his hand back. "Enough fishing for compliments and finish your breakfast. I'm not taking you anywhere until then."

Kagome's eyes lit with challenge. "I could just leave. Make you look like a real jerk in front of your staff. Imagine them seeing their boss left alone and a woman storming out with tears in her eyes."

Inuyasha laughed sarcastically. "Like you could even make it past me— hey! Get that gleam out of your eyes."

"What gleam?" Kagome asked sweetly. A comforting lightness settled over her and for the life of her, Kagome couldn't recall the last time she had felt this giddy or playful.

"The same kind of gleam you got whenever you agreed to sneak out with me. Or you tried to steal my desserts. Or right before you'd try and rub my ears."

"You enjoyed that last one just as much as I did."

Inuyasha grinned indulgently. "And the first one."

Kagome blushed but returned his grin. With a dramatic sigh, she returned to eating her breakfast. "Alright, you win. But only because I'm feeling generous and don't want to make you look bad in front of your employees."

Glancing above her at his hostess and wait staff, Inuyasha snorted as they stared blatantly and curiously at Kagome. They remembered her from when Inuyasha first brought her to the café over a year ago and her cold and standoffish demeanor. It was definitely a different Kagome sitting in front of him now.

He scoffed. "Thanks."

Inuyasha waited for Kagome to finish her food, content with observing her. She looked up at him periodically, the pink tinge to her cheeks growing brighter every time. It piqued his curiosity as to what she could have been thinking to cause her to blush so strongly. Finally, she put her chopsticks down.

"I get it, ok? I'm sorry for staring at you earlier," she huffed.

Blinking at her, Inuyasha stammered wordlessly, unaware that her behavior from earlier was from observing him. He had thought that she was just laughing at his poor table manners, as she usually teased him about them.

"All set?" he asked, to Kagome's surprise. She was sure he'd make fun of her and gloat about her ogling him. She nodded slowly and Inuyasha raised a hand to signal his wait staff to collect the dishes.

They came instantly. Inuyasha greeted and thanked them all by name and they returned the gesture politely with small bows and smiles. Kagome looked between Inuyasha and their retreating figures. Inuyasha turned over his shoulder to stare at the sky, still a swirl of dark blue and grey as the sun crested in the horizon. "Are you ready?" he asked again.

"Okay, so _not_ a slave driver."

Inuyasha mock gasped. "Don't insult me." He rolled his eyes and gestured for her to follow him out, waving an arm haphazardly to the staff in farewell.

"No, really, Inuyasha. They look very happy to be here and respect you a lot. It's as plain as day. You've done a great job with fixing up this place."

"You sound surprised."

Kagome shrugged. "Never really pegged you for an entrepreneur."

Inuyasha shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants self-consciously as they walked down the streets. They slowly began to fill with people beginning their morning commutes.

"I told you about my time in San Francisco. The coffee scene is very big over there— especially for university-aged Americans. I just took some of what I learned over there and brought it to Tokyo."

Her lips quirked up in admiration of Inuyasha's infallible adaptability. "One more thing before I forget. I just want to get it out of the way." Kagome's smile grew. "I don't think I ever told you how proud I am of you."

"You are?"

"I never said as much, but I guess it's just because I assumed you'd already know. I thought it was obvious. You work hard and act fairly and treat people well— at the coffee shop _and_ at the precinct." Kagome laughed to herself. "I just don't want you to think it's taken for granted."

"I could say the same for you, you know. Not easy to make a name for yourself and make it out of your father's shadow."

Kagome wrinkled her nose and Inuyasha glared at her. "You sell yourself too short," he muttered.

"We can't all be smug jerks," she retorted.

"True enough," Inuyasha agreed distractedly. Kagome followed his line of sight to the gates of the cemetery.

She pulled the edges of her borrowed sweater more securely around her torso and hugged her arms to her chest as she stared at the path leading in, the outlines of memorials and grave markers hazy in the morning mist. The fresh, woodsy smell of cypress and open fields wafted up to her from the sweater and helped Kagome find comfort in the eerie quiet. Kagome jolted at a careful touch to her lower back and belatedly acknowledged Inuyasha's warm hand on the small of her back, prodding her to move forward with him. Kagome relaxed against his touch and leaned into it. Inuyasha reacted immediately, his feathery touch becoming more supportive as they walked further in.

Inuyasha pulled away as they approached Kagome's parents' graves. Kagome stopped to turn at him quizzically.

"This is your time with them."

Kagome appeared as if she might argue and drag him with her, but the moment passed quickly and she knelt in front of the newest grave marker joining her mother's and brother's. She held a hand up and brushed her fingertips against the smooth stone.

"Hi Daddy," she said softly. She blinked down at her empty hands. "I'm sorry I didn't bring anything. This wasn't a planned visit…" Her voice became thick and caught in her throat.

"So much has happened and I have to admit that I've been putting off a visit because I'm ashamed of what I've done. I didn't handle you leaving very well." Kagome half-laughed, half-gasped to stifle a sob. "I don't think I handled it _at all_. Poor Kouga… he got the worst end of it. But I couldn't keep doing what I was doing to him. He deserved more than that."

Kagome shook her head as she stared at her father's name. "And I think you knew that," she whispered.

" _I want you to be happy. I want you to live a good, long life. Don't be like me, Kagome. Don't make my mistakes. Don't forget about your heart."_

_Sadao relaxed into Kagome's arms again. He lifted his gaze and met Kagome's, her own expression stunned and confused._

" _Kagome, be happy," he told her once more. "That's all your mother and I ever wanted for you."_

Fisting her hands around the hem of the sweater, Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"My marriage failed and it's because of me. Because I was so desperate and lonely and I hurt Kouga for no reason. I knew deep down that I couldn't love Kouga the way you and Mama loved each other. But I thought I could spend my life with a friend and that would be enough. But you were right, Dad, it's not enough. And I hurt a really good man with my selfishness," Kagome cried.

"I sold the house you and Mama gave me. I couldn't stay there anymore," she confessed. "How could I live in a home where I lived a lie?"

She paused for a moment, taking deep breaths to calm herself down.

"On a happier note, Sango and Miroku got engaged. I know that they're going to be so great together. I wish you could've been there. Mama, I know Umeko wished you were there. She misses her best friend. She got so annoyed when Matsuhiko kept teasing them about grandchildren." Kagome sniffled and rubbed her eyes. "I suppose that's the prerogative of the father of the bride, isn't it Dad? " She sighed. "I'm so glad Kouga and I were never ready to have kids, although, I suppose that was a sign in and of itself."

"Speaking of kids... Souta was attacked last night. He's my responsibility but I feel like he's a different person. And then last night…" Tears dropped onto her lap. "I must have really enraged the spirits in my past life. The only reason I haven't lost him is because of Inuyasha, except I almost lost Inuyasha in the process—"

Inuyasha shut his own eyes, trying to block out Kagome's words, not wanting to intrude on her private moment with her family. But her broken voice echoed in his mind. He kept trying to block her out, succeeding only when he hummed an old song his mother would sing when he was a child. Then, his focus was ruined when he heard his name. Inuyasha's eyes shot open to where Kagome knelt on the damp grass.

"—I know I'm hurting him, too. He doesn't understand. Everyone I love gets hurt. I lose them all somehow. You three are gone… I've pushed Kouga away from me, maybe forever. Souta's being distant. I don't want to lose Inuyasha. Not again. I can't. He says he'd wait but sometimes, I wonder if I even want him to."

The blood in Inuyasha's veins turned to ice.

Kagome sat back, sitting cross-legged, and twisting her fingers in the grass anxiously. "I'm not good for him. He said he'd give me time, but all I really want is for him to find someone who won't hurt him… someone like Ayame. She came to Dad's funeral." Kagome admitted, "I can't bring myself to hate her."

"She's pretty and kind and she knew Inuyasha longer than I did. She was his first best friend. She's also a youkai and could protect him better than I ever could." Kagome took a shuddering breath and admitted, "I'm scared to be with him because I'm the one person he can't protect himself from."

"Kagome."

At Inuyasha's soft utterance of her name, Kagome flinched and looked up only to find Inuyasha crouching next to her, his face hovering just inches above hers. She quickly rearranged her facial expression and tried to adopt an irritated one.

"Inuyasha, don't tell me you were listening in!" Kagome cringed at the desperation in her false anger.

Inuyasha's bright gold eyes searched hers. She didn't know whether she wanted him to take the bait and argue with her or ignore her pathetic attempt at distraction. She didn't expect him to pull her to her feet and away from the plot to settle on a nearby bench.

Kagome frowned in confusion. "Inuyasha?"

"It's not going to be easy. It _hasn't_ been easy," Inuyasha acknowledged. His calloused fingers skated over her skin as they cradled her face. "Every story has its scars. It doesn't mean things don't turn out well in the end."

He dragged a single finger across her cheek affectionately and Kagome sighed in response, her eyes fluttering closed. "Inuyasha," she murmured again.

"Kagome, I know you're scared, but I need you to have enough faith in the fact that I'm _not_."

With a shallow gulp, Kagome insisted, "There are people who are after me. We know that now and—"

"And that's more than enough reason for me to _not_ leave you alone. Kagome, if anything happened to you…" Inuyasha's eyes hardened.

"I'm not going to let you be my human shield!"

"Hanyou," he reminded her.

Kagome shook her head adamantly, the range of motion stunted due to the fact that Inuyasha still cupped her face. "Last night was one of the worst nights of my life. I can't go through that. I can't let you do that."

Inuyasha leaned forward, pressing his forehead against hers, and closed his eyes as he sighed. "Kagome, I could die by getting hit by a car on the night of the new moon. I could die in a horrific car accident, even as a hanyou if it was bad enough."

Weakly swatting a hand against his chest, Kagome mumbled, "Now I don't want you near a car." She felt his chest rumble as he laughed softly.

"My point is, I'm done being scared of what _might_ happen and I'd rather enjoy what _will_ happen... if you'd let it." He leaned back and looked her in the eye. "I don't need protection from you. Ever since that day a decade ago when I caught you and kept you from tumbling in the rocks, I realized that I'm here to be that shelter for you." He added warmly, "It's always been you."

Kagome couldn't help but smile back at him, his words acting like a remedy to all of her pain and doubt. It was new and exciting and she felt like she would burst with emotion. Something nagged at the back of her mind, fueling her hesitancy.

Reading her well, Inuyasha asked, "What is it?"

"I'm not... uhm…"

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her. Dryly, he said, "I'm not exactly the most communicative guy. You're going to have to clear that up."

Kagome wrung her fingers together anxiously. Inuyasha slid his hands from her neck down the length of her arms to still her hands, holding them tightly.

"It's me," he reminded her.

Kagome laughed to herself and her expression turned wistful. He was right. This was Inuyasha. Kagome turned her hands within his grasp to interlace her fingers with his.

"Can we take it slow? I don't want to pick up from where we left off."

"Fresh start," he murmured in agreement. "We're both going to have to adjust. We're not the same people we were before and this relationship will be different." He paused. "If it'll even become one. I'm just hoping for enough left to build on."

"Do you think there's enough?" she asked meekly.

"Yes," he replied instantly. "It's a good foundation and we're older and wiser and less hot-headed."

"Are we though?" Kagome asked with a touch of amusement in her voice.

"I said _less_ hot-headed, not that we're not at all."

"I'd hate to repeat past mistakes."

"You know I wouldn't."

Kagome's eyes sparkled with mirth. "Just need to keep you and Miroku away from rowdy house parties."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "You know, Miroku told me I had to woo you yesterday."

Grinning, Kagome asked, "Now you're taking romantic advice from Miroku?"

"Keh! I know. Lets you know I hit a low point."

"Well he's not wrong. Some wooing would be nice."

Inuyasha wrinkled his nose. "Do I have to?" The petulant expression on his face made Kagome laugh lightly.

Kagome cocked her head at him, her lips curved up in a content smile. "Like I've said before, romance is something I have to sacrifice if I agree to date you."

"Oi," Inuyasha rumbled half-heartedly, nuzzling his face against hers, breathing in her scent deeply. Kagome's laughter melted into a sigh and she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck.

"So is that a yes?" Inuyasha asked.

"I don't want to live my life based on what ifs. What's happened has happened and this is where we are."

Inuyasha peered up and scanned their surroundings. "Right," he said with a surly expression. "A cemetery."

He looked down when Kagome laughed and nuzzled her face again, humming contently when she took the chance to rub his ears.

"But you're here with me," she teased.

"Best consolation," he murmured, his eyes closed.

Inuyasha angled his head, his face hovering just above hers, offering her the choice. Last time, he had taken the initiative, bared his heart to her. Revealed the truth he had tried to bury in his soul. He wanted— desperately needed— to know if she was ready. If she wanted it as badly as he did. About to pull away, he lost his breath when she leaned up, her lips pressing against his tenderly and he was lost to sensation. Warmth, softness, her sweet and fresh scent, the steady beat of her heart that gradually quickened.

They pulled back, eyes closed and chests heaving. Inuyasha opened his eyes first and watched Kagome's slightly swollen lips carve into another wistful smile. He smirked in male pride at her dazed expression. Immediately recognizing his expression, Kagome scowled at him and sighed in resignation, resting her head against his chest. Inuyasha grunted lightly and held her tightly to him.

"And now?" she asked.

"We sleep," he said simply. "I'm fucking tired."

Kagome laughed and shook her head. "Okay, Inuyasha."

"But I also… that is, well—"

"What has you so tongue tied?"

"Do you want to get dinner tonight?"

"With you?"

"No, with the goddamn mailman."

Kagome frowned in confusion. "Oh, I'm not too sure about that. I think he might be married—" She squealed when Inuyasha poked her in the ribs. Once she caught her breath, she grinned at him. "Dinner sounds great. Sounds like a date."

Inuyasha smirked at her. _'The last first date you'll have.'_


	36. Chapter 36

_Last Time…_

_They pulled back, eyes closed and chests heaving. Inuyasha opened his eyes first and watched Kagome's slightly swollen lips carve into another wistful smile. He smirked in male pride at her dazed expression. Immediately recognizing his expression, Kagome scowled at him and sighed in resignation, resting her head against his chest. Inuyasha grunted lightly and held her tightly to him._

" _And now?" she asked._

" _We sleep," he said simply. "I'm fucking tired."_

_Kagome laughed and shook her head. "Okay, Inuyasha."_

" _But I also… that is, well—"_

" _What has you so tongue tied?"_

" _Do you want to get dinner tonight?"_

" _With you?"_

" _No, with the goddamn mailman."_

_Kagome frowned in confusion. "Oh, I'm not too sure about that. I think he might be married." She squealed when Inuyasha poked her in the ribs. Once she caught her breath, she grinned at him. "Dinner sounds great. Sounds like a date."_

_Inuyasha smirked at her._ 'The last first date you'll have.'

* * *

"You _what_?" Sango asked, her dark brown eyes wide in shock. She would have dropped the stack of bridal magazines in her hands if Kagome didn't rush to grab them from her.

Kagome felt warmth flood her cheeks as she avoided Sango's gaze. She shrugged nonchalantly and sat on the couch, immediately leafing through one of the magazines determinedly. Sango sighed and sat next to her, dropping down forcefully next to her and nudging Kagome with her elbow.

"Kagome, you don't just drop news like that on me!"

"Sango, I don't see what the big deal is," Kagome hissed.

Sango raised her eyebrows at that. "Don't see what the big deal is?" she asked incredulously. "You don't understand the implications of you and Inuyasha getting back together again?" she asked flatly.

"We're not back together," Kagome hedged.

"You're not?"

"I mean… we…" Kagome shrugged. "We went out, we broke up, and now we're trying again. I mean, we don't know what's going to happen," Kagome said in a rush.

"I think we all know what's going to happen," Sango replied, taking several of the magazines out of Kagome's lap and placing them onto the coffee table. She pulled Kagome's hands from the magazine she was pretending to look through. "But I understand if you guys don't want to label it..."

Once Kagome looked at Sango from the corner of her eye, uncertainty evident in her stare, Sango narrowed her own eyes at her.

"I'm happy for you guys," she started sincerely. She looked over Kagome's face intently. "But are _you_ okay with it? That's all that really matters."

Kagome chewed on her bottom lip in consideration and sighed, a small smile forming. "It's… a strange sensation, I guess. We'll have a moment or… of course there are some behaviors that will never change and we'll fall into an old pattern but then there are instances where we both know we would've acted differently six years ago. And we're okay with it. We're adjusting—"

Sango squeezed her hands tighter. "But are you _happy_?"

Kagome looked at Sango's eyes and pressed her lips together while nodding enthusiastically. "Yeah," she said quietly. "I feel really happy. Like I said, we're taking it slow. It's not picking up where we left off." She laughed softly. "Inuyasha calls it 'rebuilding'." Kagome rolled her eyes and used her fingers to make air quotes.

"And what do you call it?"

Blinking at Sango's question, Kagome's smile faded as a thoughtful expression came over her. Then she lifted her eyes to Sango's. "Coming home." She chuckled. "It sounds so corny, but it's comfortable without being boring and I feel like I can be myself again."

In a move too fast for Kagome to have caught, Sango threw her arms around her shoulders and hugged her tightly.

"You have no idea how worried I've been about you," Sango revealed in a whisper. "Ever since that night we talked after your father died… you have _no_ idea how good it is to hear that you're feeling like yourself again."

Warmly returning the hug, Kagome replied, "I guess almost as good as how I'm feeling."

The two women relished the hug before pulling apart, Kagome reaching for a magazine again. Sango grasped her wrist.

"Wait!"

"What?" Kagome asked in bemusement.

"What have you guys done?"

Kagome's blush returned, this time flooding her whole face and creeping down to her neck. "It's not like we're sixteen years old again whispering in my bedroom, Sango. You've been under Miroku's influence for too long," she grumbled.

Sango grinned unapologetically. "For better or for worse."

"We've just gone on a handful of dates, he comes over to the apartment a lot. Just to spend time with me. We've also had to iron out the details of his case. There's nothing legally barring me from being part of his legal team, especially since I'm not the lead counsel, but I'd rather not have our relationship be used as ammunition by the prosecution, claiming conflict of interest or some other bullshit."

"Hmm…" Sango hummed in thought. "What does Inuyasha think about that?"

Giving Sango a wry smile, Kagome recited, with an accurate affectation of the hanyou, "Who gives a fuck what those bastards think? They've got their damn heads shoved so far up their ass, they couldn't see the forest for the trees."

"Equal parts crass and insightful."

"Inuyasha in a nutshell."

Sango finally released Kagome's wrist. "But you still haven't answered my question."

"To answer your question, _no_ , we haven't slept together." Kagome rolled her eyes. "Like I said, we're not picking up like nothing happened. As far as we're concerned, this is a brand new relationship, completely disconnected from our past one."

Pursing her lips together, Sango asked tentatively, "And what about Kouga?"

"He's been avoiding Inuyasha at work. And Inuyasha said he's been trying to talk to him, but I don't know how much stock I'd put into his claims. I'd reach out to him myself but…"

"You also don't want to be the bad guy," Sango finished.

Kagome winced. "It's been, what? Two months since our divorce? I just don't want it to feel like it was done with the sole purpose of getting back together with Inuyasha." She frowned at the memories of Kouga's accusations.

"That makes sense," Sango agreed.

"But I don't want him to get wind of it through secondary sources. He deserves to hear it from one of us," Kagome said resolutely.

Sango offered her support as she wrapped an arm around Kagome's shoulders. "That sounds like the best course of action. I know you don't want to hurt him, Kagome, but at least he won't be constantly consumed with not knowing. That's worse sometimes."

Nodding, Kagome leaned into Sango. "Okay, that's enough of that. Let's get started with the planning! We survived the announcement party last weekend. Have you and Miroku finally set a date beyond 'sometime next year'?"

"Sometime in the next year," Sango replied absently while perusing a magazine. She glanced up at the sound of Kagome clicking her teeth in annoyance. "What?"

"Maybe something more specific?"

Sango smiled sheepishly. "Sometime next spring?"

Kagome shook her head. "I'll take it," she playfully groaned. "Okay, so that gives us a little over a year to plan." She pulled out her planner from her bag and looked over the next year's calendar. "April?"

"Sooner. Maybe we could catch the cherry blossoms."

Her mouth dropping in a big smile, Kagome nodded enthusiastically. "Okay then, last weekend of March. Oh that'll be perfect."

Sango smiled, though Kagome knew she was restraining her own excitement. "I'll talk to Miroku about it when he gets home and then I'll let you know so we can look at venues."

"Won't Miroku want to come?"

Scoffing, Sango rolled her dark eyes. "Miroku just wants it done with. We'll bring him along to the final choices for his input, but he's not particularly interested. We just need to find a way to mix the ceremony between Buddhist and Shinto."

"It shouldn't be too much of an issue."

"Exactly, so he's pretty much checked out of the wedding planning. Except for his bachelor party."

"What's your policy on his party?" Kagome asked, laughing as she spoke.

"He can have strippers."

"Really?" Kagome asked with wide eyes. She didn't expect Sango to let Miroku have that.

Sango glanced at Kagome from the corner of her eye. "But I have to approve them and he's not allowed to touch. Kohaku will be filling me in throughout the night."

Kagome broke into large peals of laughter, Sango joining her soon after.

* * *

Tapping her foot impatiently, Kagome huffed when the elevator doors opened and she hurried through before they completely opened. She made her way through the familiar halls before walking into the room full of humming computers and a quiet buzz of chatter. Finding her target, Kagome walked up and placed her hands over his eyes.

Inuyasha arched a brow before turning in his seat. He told her plainly, "I smelled you the second you stepped into the lobby."

Kagome pouted and removed her hands, placing them on her hips instead. "I would've thought there'd be enough smells to mask mine," she bemoaned.

"Keh! You should know by now that I can pick out your scent regardless of how many other scents get in the way."

With a sly smile, Kagome leaned down to kiss his cheek. "I know," she teased. "I just like to be reminded."

Inuyasha reached out to wrap his hand around the back of her head and tug her towards him, leaning up to capture her lips. Kagome squeaked in surprise, unused to him being so public with his affection, but didn't dwell on it too long as Inuyasha pulled away just as quickly, growling at someone over her shoulder. Kagome looked behind her and grinned at the bashful-looking young man uncomfortably staring anywhere but them.

"What do you want, Shippo?" Inuyasha asked gruffly.

The auburn haired man looked back and narrowed his jade-colored eyes in a glower. He tossed a file, which Inuyasha deftly caught. Inuyasha immediately began to rifle through the papers.

"Glad to see I'm so easily beaten in the fight for your attention," Kagome complained lightly, without real annoyance in her voice. She turned to meet Shippo, extending a hand. "Since Inuyasha is too rude to do it himself, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Kagome Higurashi."

Shippo smiled sheepishly. "Shippo Hatsu," he replied, reaching out to grasp Kagome's hand. "And I already knew who you are, you're kind of infamous around here."

Kagome stiffened and her face fell, her arm dropping to her side lamely, thinking he referred to her former marriage to Kouga. "Oh…"

Attuned to her distress, Inuyasha looked up from the file and glared at Shippo, wrapping an arm around Kagome's waist reassuringly.

"I mean, the woman who dared to deal with _this_ baka? A bunch of us are wondering if you're really that much of a saint or you're demented."

Inuyasha growled, "Watch it, Shippo," turning his glare to Kagome when he picked up on the quiet giggle she was masking behind her hand. Inuyasha looked back at the file and frowned in obvious disappointment. "This is all you could find on him?"

Shippo's grin faded and he nodded solemnly. "Yeah. Dude's a damn ghost. We have nothing on him after he dropped out of university a few years back. It's like he fell off of the face of the Earth."

With a grunt, Inuyasha continued rifling through the small packet of papers. "Obviously not," he grouched. "Otherwise he wouldn't be on my radar." Inuyasha sighed and rubbed his face in fatigue. "Thanks a lot, Shippo. This is more than I would've gotten with any other cyber dweeb here."

Scoffing, Shippo retorted, "Maybe because you call them cyber dweebs. It doesn't exactly instill the right sense of motivation to do research for you."

"Aw come on! What about the righteous sense of doing the right thing?"

"Sometimes you're too much of an asshole."

Kagome blinked at the kitsune youkai in shock, never hearing anyone address Inuyasha that way unless they were a close friend or enemy. As if suddenly remembering her presence, Shippo glanced at her and blushed, but not for long before he turned his petulant stare back at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha took a step in his direction and Shippo hurried away. "Alright, well, time for me to go! Nice meeting you, Kagome!"

"You, too, Shippo!" Kagome offered Inuyasha a confused smile as if to say _'What was that all about?'_

"Twerp likes to rile me up for no reason. He's good, though."

Kagome's smile widened. "Probably looks up to you. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."

Inuyasha made a face. "Doubt it," he huffed. "I'm the inspector that ended up getting transferred from one of the most elite divisions to _cybercrimes_."

" _Temporarily_ ," Kagome reminded him. She tightened her grip on his hand reassuringly. "Just until we get everything settled. That's why I dropped by. Masahiro has some news for you."

"Oh yeah?"

"He refused to tell me over the phone. Wanted to tell us in person so if you're free, I can call and we can go meet him."

Inuyasha nodded and turned to shut down his computer and grab the files for his open cases, shoving them into his cabinet and locking them up, save for one. "I gotta head upstairs first and hand this one over to another inspector. She was asking to look at this file, too."

Kagome tried to sneak a peak at the file in question, her curiosity piqued, but Inuyasha grabbed Kagome's hand again and the two made their way upstairs, the elevator dinging with every floor they passed. Kagome frowned and looked at Inuyasha. He sighed.

"Yeah we're going up to the _other_ bullpen."

Kagome knew what he meant by that and asked quietly, "Have you two spoken?"

Inuyasha bristled. "We've both been doing a good job of avoiding each other."

"Inuyasha… I've been thinking— _ding!_ "

Kagome didn't get a chance to finish her sentence as the elevator doors opened and Inuyasha hurried them through. His hand was on the small of her back as he guided her back to the bullpen that she used to visit frequently. Once she and Inuyasha had begun dating, she tried urging Inuyasha that they should tell Kouga so as to ensure he wouldn't be blindsided by the news. But Inuyasha was the only one whose stubbornness could rival her own.

"I know," he said quietly. "Just let me get this file to Mizuki and we'll get it over with."

Faltering in her step at his choice of words, Kagome's hand slipped out of his. "Get this over with?"

Inuyasha squirmed uncomfortably, his eyes darting around the empty hallway. "I just don't want him to be a smug bastard about it and start yelling about how he was right in front of everyone." He clenched his jaw momentarily. "You were right, Kagome. That night you were in the hospital."

Although she knew when he was referring to, Kagome asked dryly, "Which one?"

She allowed herself to be pulled along by him once more. Inuyasha said quietly, "I'm sorry."

Kagome shook her head. "Me, too. I know it's not easy to be this close to him every day."

Inuyasha smirked. "Yeah, but if the situations were reversed, you'd have probably had the balls to get this over with a few weeks ago."

"That's me, Kagome 'Big Balls' Higurashi."

Inuyasha froze and looked at her with a mixture of horror and disgust on his expression. Kagome laughed as he shuddered before he clarified, "I would have gone with 'small but mighty'."

Kagome wrinkled her nose. "Still too much innuendo."

Inuyasha gaped at her, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. "That's— you _know_ —" he spluttered.

"Don't worry, Inuyasha. I'm not talking about little Inuyasha." Her laughter increased as his expression darkened. "Was little Inuyasha the wrong thing to say?" she asked with far too much innocence for Inuyasha's taste. He could see the mirth in her honey eyes.

His cheeks were bright red and he had a pout on his face as they entered the bullpen. "Entirely," he grumbled.

Their lightheartedness quickly fell away as they passed several desks and cubicles on their way to Inspector Mizuki. Kagome unconsciously huddled closer to Inuyasha and Inuyasha used his larger frame to keep Kagome from view. He could feel the stares boring into his back but was resolute in keeping his eyes on Mizuki's desk.

Mizuki peered up when Inuyasha unceremoniously dropped the file onto her desk, sitting in the chair in front of her and tugging Kagome onto his lap, ignoring her obvious discomfort so that she wouldn't garner unwanted attention hidden from view.

"Look what the cat dragged in," Mizuki drawled. "Is that an appropriate thing to say to an inuhanyou?"

"Shove it, Mizuki," Inuyasha grumbled. "I dropped off that file you wanted to take a look at, didn't I? Just wanted to know where Kouga was. Need to speak to him."

To her credit, Mizuki's eyes slid towards Kagome for only the slightest glance. Then, she began perusing the file Inuyasha gave her. "He just finished sending someone off to booking. Should be back in a couple of minutes." Her eyes met Inuyasha's for a moment. "But if you're looking to have a private conversation, then I suggest cutting him off before he gets back up here. Had enough of a show up here during your arrest."

Inuyasha scoffed and picked Kagome out of his lap, keeping an arm around her waist as they began to rush out of the bullpen.

"Hey, Takado! Don't you want this file?" Mizuki called out.

"Hold onto it for me until Monday!" he shouted, pulling Kagome with him.

"Inuyasha?"

"C'mon, we've gotta make it to— aw, fuck."

Inuyasha slowed as the elevator doors opened and Kouga walked out, his strides slowing as his eyes landed on Inuyasha and Kagome, then dropped to their joined hands. Inuyasha instinctively tightened his grip on Kagome's hand, expecting her to pull away, but Kagome made no such effort. To his surprise, she squeezed back.

Kouga clenched his jaw and stood in front of them woodenly. He jerked his head at their clasped hands and demanded gruffly, "This the moment then?"

Kagome said, "We wanted you to hear directly from us."

"Appreciate it," Kouga cut in curtly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a report to finish up so I can go home early tonight."

Kouga breezed past them and Kagome looked helplessly at Inuyasha, but the hanyou kept a grim expression on his face. He shook his head, but Kagome called after Kouga.

"Wait, Kouga, please wait!"

Kouga stopped, his back taut with tension. He turned his head slightly so that his profile was showing, but he kept his eyes downcast.

"What for, Kagome? I get it. I appreciate the fact that you two waited a couple of months and that you told me yourselves. Really. But as much as I saw this coming, I don't want to see either of you right now. Have a good weekend."

Inuyasha and Kagome watched him disappear down the hallway and turn into the bullpen. Inuyasha cupped Kagome's cheek and gently tugged her face so that she looked at him instead. She saw the apology in his eyes and shook her head to silence him before he spoke. Kagome leaned into his hand and smiled warmly at him before leading the way towards the elevator.

Once alone, he murmured, "Give him time."

"I know…"

"Don't nag him."

"I know."

"What did you want to do about dinner?"

Kagome rounded on him. "Is food really on your mind right now?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "You said we were going to meet up with Masahiro," he reminded her.

"Oh." Kagome's cheeks turned pink. She gently pinched of her nose to try and ward off the oncoming headache. "I'll call him. Should we just go to that restaurant nearby? The one by the park? It's close enough to his office, too, so we wouldn't have to wait for him for too long."

"Sounds good to me."

"Hey," Kagome tugged on his arm. "How are you feeling?"

"Isn't that what I should be asking you?"

"You've never been one for tradition and neither have I."

Inuyasha sighed. "You were right. It feels better to have gotten it over with."

Kagome mock gasped. "I'm right? Inuyasha Takado thinks _I'm_ right?"

"Shut up, you know I give you credit plenty of times."

Grinning back at him, Kagome replied, "It's just _so_ nice to hear it, though." Her smile widened when Inuyasha gave her a quick kiss.

Reaching into his pocket, Inuyasha pulled out his phone to call Masahiro. "You know, he could just as easily have bad news for us."

"We'll cross that bridge if it comes."

"When."

" _If_."

A few hours later, Inuyasha and Kagome sat dumbstruck, but equally relieved. Masahiro Matsuo sat across from them at the dinner table with a relaxed smile on his face.

"The judge didn't find enough cause to proceed to a trial. He told the prosecution to get some concrete evidence and drop the charges. You're cleared, Inuyasha."


	37. Chapter 37

_Last Time…_

_Grinning back at him, Kagome replied, "It's just so nice to hear it, though." Her smile widened when Inuyasha gave her a quick kiss._

_Reaching into his pocket, Inuyasha pulled out his phone to call Masahiro. "You know, he could just as easily have bad news for us."_

" _We'll cross that bridge if it comes."_

" _When."_

"If _."_

_A few hours later, Inuyasha and Kagome sat dumbstruck, but equally relieved. Masahiro Matsuo sat across from them at the dinner table with a relaxed smile on his face._

" _The judge didn't find enough cause to proceed to a trial. He told the prosecution to get some concrete evidence and drop the charges. You're cleared, Inuyasha."_

* * *

Inuyasha narrowed his gold eyes at his defense lawyer. Masahiro Matsuo was an attractive man. Tall with a fit build, and a charming smile, he was notable for his salt-and-pepper hair despite being in his mid-twenties. He had a friendly enough countenance, which usually wasn't enough for Inuyasha, but Kagome trusted him and that was good enough for Inuyasha. Most of the time.

"Okay, but what's the catch?" he asked suspiciously.

Kagome threw him a scandalized look and swatted at his arm before shooting Masahiro an apologetic glance. Masahiro waved off the notion, more than accustomed to Inuyasha after having him as a client for several months at this point.

"No catch," he told him. "Your suspension is officially lifted. You can transfer back to the organized crime division as soon as possible, and I daresay the force is better for it. You wouldn't believe the number of cases the office is getting concerning internal affairs and corruption."

With a snort, Inuyasha retorted, "I _do_."

Kagome leaned forward. "So… is this the end of it?

Masahiro's face twisted into a grimace. "It's complicated," he hedged.

"Of fucking course," Inuyasha grumbled.

"You were charged, but we managed to delay the trial. According to the constitution, double jeopardy should hold, but in practice…"

A frown appeared on Kagome's face. "Inuyasha wasn't acquitted in the traditional sense. And this was a lower district court. There's still a chance he could be tried if the prosecutor appeals to the High Court."

Inuyasha made a noise of displeasure and Kagome glanced at him to see him sulking. She turned back to Masahiro, her expression full of determination.

"What's the likelihood of that?"

"This is the second time we've cast doubt on the prosecution's case. For them to try and charge Inuyasha again… it would certainly make it look like they're gunning for him."

Kagome raised her eyebrows at that. "Are you insinuating… that this could be an orchestration rather than an unfortunate accident?"

"I'm not making any accusations," Masahiro said evenly. "I'm just pointing out an observation." He arched an eyebrow at Inuyasha. "And to warn you to be on your guard."

"Noted." Inuyasha inclined his head at Masahiro.

Masahiro sighed and held his hands out in supplication. "Look, I'm laying it out for you— there's a large possibility that evidence was planted. Because it's pretty damn compelling. That DNA match is the smoking gun that the prosecution has that we can't completely explain away."

"Are you asking me if I did it, Masahiro?" Inuyasha asked lowly.

"Stop it, Inuyasha, of course he's not." Kagome glanced at her old classmate. "Are you?"

"As a general rule, I don't ask. Not my job. But I have my suspicions and can usually make a guess."

"Didn't answer my question," Inuyasha said testily.

Considering the hanyou, Masahiro narrowed his eyes at Inuyasha and for the first time, Kagome saw the man who had earned himself a reputation in the courtroom that contrasted vastly from her memories in law school. Masahiro then settled back against his chair.

"I didn't," he admitted. "But here it is. No, Inuyasha, I don't think you're responsible in any way, shape, or form for Sadao Higurashi's murder. Your initial unpleasantness aside, it's easy to see you're a good man. And the fact that you have Kagome's favor is more than enough proof. Nor do I think you're affiliated with the youkai who are. But you obviously have pissed off some pretty powerful, _dangerous_ people."

"So what you're saying is, I still have a target on my head."

"Essentially."

Kagome had her eyebrows furrowed in deep thought. "The DNA results… did you run your own tests?"

"No," Masahiro said eventually.

Kagome chewed on her lip. "So as far as we know…"

"They could've been manufactured. And if that's the case, then I could use this to take down everyone involved in trying to frame Inuyasha and give the force a deep internal cleanse."

Inuyasha sighed. "Alright, what do you need?"

Masahiro smirked. "A hair, a dirty tissue. But if you don't mind, I think I'd rather handle the hair on my way to the office."

"You guys have your own DNA techs?"

"We outsource, but if those asinine talk show hosts can find competent laboratories for a paternity test, trust that the firm employs the best possible technicians. I assure you, everything is carried out with the utmost discretion."

Kagome plucked a hair from Inuyasha's head, ignoring his yelp and pointed glare, before placing it delicately into a clean napkin and folding it over. She handed it over to Masahiro. "Here you go."

Masahiro took the folded up napkin and carefully tucked it into an inside pocket of his suit jacket. "I'll get this to the lab right away."

Kagome smiled warmly at him. "I know you will."

The three rose from their seats and Masahiro gave a shallow bow to them before throwing his coat on. "Well I'll need to head out if I want to submit this before offices close for the weekend."

"Keh! Cyberdweebs will still work on it throughout the weekend."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome hissed reproachfully.

Masahiro chuckled, a deep rumbling sound. "I know. Believe me, I know. I just think I owe it to them to pretend that that's not the case."

"Better you than me."

"Masahiro, I can't tell you how much your help is appreciated. I owe it to you," Kagome said earnestly.

Inuyasha curled his lip but otherwise remained quiet at her side, his hands flexing underneath the table. "You don't owe him anything," he grumbled under his breath.

Masahiro took Kagome's hand and patted the top of it. "Anything for an old friend. It's good to see you, Kagome. It's been a long time. I wouldn't be opposed to seeing you in a non-professional setting."

Kagome offered him a grin and Inuyasha's expression visibly darkened, his lips pressing into a thin line.

"Sure! I'll have my assistant contact yours and we can grab some coffee during the week?" she asked as they all rose from their seats.

"Perfect. I'll see you then." Masahiro looked up at Inuyasha, his lips twitching at the look on his client's face. "Inuyasha. I'll be sure to expedite the results and get back to you as soon as possible." Then, with purpose, he leaned forward to brush a kiss on Kagome's cheek.

Kagome looked worriedly at Inuyasha, but Inuyasha kept still. When Masahiro left, she sighed and asked resignedly, "What?"

"What do you mean, what?" Inuyasha snapped. He threw some bills onto the table and began to shrug on his jacket before holding Kagome's out to her.

Kagome compliantly put on the jacket, mumbling, "You didn't have to pay for my meal."

"Don't worry about it," he said while breezing past her to the exit.

"Inuyasha!"

"Get the bill next time, then."

"Inuyasha!"

"Did you two date during law school?"

"Masahiro? No, _no!_ " Kagome rolled her eyes while she struggled to keep up with Inuyasha's fast strides. She ran around and stepped in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. "We're just old friends."

"Okay." Inuyasha sidestepped around her.

"'Okay'? That's all you have to say?" Kagome demanded as she ran after him.

"What else do you _want_ me to say?"

"What's really bothering you!"

Inuyasha glared at her. "You _know_ your _friend_ was egging me on."

"Masahiro is a jokester. He likes to rile people up. It's harmless! It's nothing more than what Miroku does when he jokes around but you don't get this upset when Miroku flirts with me."

"Okay."

Kagome lunged forward and grasped at his arm, holding onto it tightly and forcing Inuyasha to turn around, though she knew he could have broken away from her with minimal effort. "Don't do this," she pleaded. "Don't internalize your problems and run away from me. I'm your best friend, Inuyasha. I can take whatever you have to tell me. I _want_ to hear what you have to say. Just… don't avoid me."

Inuyasha stared at Kagome's honey eyes as she quietly pleaded with him and relented, stepping towards her and gently pulling his arm from her vice grip. He brushed her thick raven hair away from her face and sighed.

"I got jealous, what else do you want me to say?" he admitted quietly. "You can be so oblivious to the effect you have on men, you idiot." He shook his head. "You smart, stubborn, kind, generous idiot."

Her face softened and Kagome insisted, "Me? Inuyasha, if you even had the slightest idea how women fall at your feet."

"Keh! A hanyou?"

Kagome pursed her lips and glowered at him. "You need to get over that stigma, Inuyasha. It's not the same as when we were kids and I've told you multiple times that I love your hanyou-ness, even though you're a lot nicer to me when you're human."

Inuyasha's ears perked up and remained pointed, honing in on what might have just been a slip of her tongue. He huffed, "Stop trying to deflect my point."

"Your _point_ is irrelevant. Doesn't matter who flirts with me. I'm dating _you_."

To prove _her_ point, Kagome suddenly gripped the front of Inuyasha's coat, fisting her hands in the woolly fabric, and pulled him down towards her. She pressed her lips against his, satisfied when he immediately responded, his warm lips gently molding themselves against hers. Inuyasha's hands snaked down until they wrapped around her waist, pulling her even closer so that they were pressed flush together, the feeling causing Kagome to gasp against him. Inuyasha's senses were flooded with Kagome, melting against the heat of her, liquid fire on his lips, her scent filling his nostrils. He distantly registered fingers snaking through his hair, teasing brushes against his sensitive ears. Kagome moaned lightly as she swayed, his hands supporting her weight as she leaned on him.

Inuyasha pressed several light kisses on her lips before pulling away breathlessly. "Kagome," he rumbled lowly.

Kagome grinned at him and Inuyasha felt satisfaction melt through him and settle throughout his body. He smirked at the flush on her cheeks and how swollen her lips looked. Her hands moved in soothing, distracting circles across his back. "I'm not going to be doing that with Masahiro anytime soon, I promise you."

She giggled when Inuyasha didn't respond, his eyes closing from her ministrations. Kagome pulled her hands away only to earn herself a pouty glare, although Inuyasha's eyes were darkened with something other than anger. She could make a guess as to what it was that had him sending her such a heated look.

"Feeling better?" she asked, a sly smile curving across her face.

"No, not yet." Inuyasha leaned in again but Kagome pulled away, not that Inuyasha truly minded. The ringing sound of her laughter was almost as good of a balm to his senses. He watched her capture her bottom lip in between her teeth and decided to surprise her and nip at it lightly.

Kagome smiled against his lips before nuzzling her face into his chest, ignoring the slight scratchiness of the wool fabric of his coat, rewarded by the faint sound of his heartbeat.

* * *

Kagome looked up from where she was settled on her couch, papers laid out on her lap as well as the coffee table. The door to her apartment had opened and her position in the living room didn't afford her a vantage point of the entrance hallway.

"Souta?" she asked tentatively, knowing it was either him or Inuyasha since they were the only two besides her with a copy of the keys to her apartment. Mentally rolling her eyes, Kagome recalled how Inuyasha had demanded the duplicate from the building superintendent, not trusting him with access to Kagome's apartment. That led to another argument between the two of them.

A mop of raven hair appeared over the edge of the couch and Kagome lifted herself up and smiled at her younger brother. She hastily shuffled her papers together and placed them on the coffee table.

"I wasn't expecting you tonight! Early morning tomorrow?"

Souta often used one of Kagome's spare rooms when he had a late night or early morning at university and didn't want to take the train back to Nakano. Kagome's apartment was conveniently located in Shibuya, in between the school and the shrine.

Souta yawned and put his backpack onto an empty chair, hopping over the edge of the couch and slouching into the cushions, causing Kagome to bounce up slightly on her end of the couch.

"No, no classes tomorrow, but I'm beat. Today felt _way_ too long."

Kagome smiled and gestured to the papers littering her coffee table. "Tell me about it."

"Are you busy? I can go to the shrine if you need to concentrate."

"Don't worry about it, Souta. Besides, you're already here." Kagome rose and headed to the kitchen, calling out, "I have some leftover pasta from lunch or cold pizza if you're hungry!"

"Pizza!" Souta frowned. "Why do you have a whole pizza?" He could hear Kagome snort as she put it into the microwave and watched her move around the open kitchen.

"Inuyasha was over earlier and brought it, even though I _told_ him I had made katsu curry."

"Doesn't Inuyasha hate curry?"

Kagome laughed. "But he loves katsu. Suffice it to say, we have a lot of Italian leftovers." She rummaged through her cabinets to grab a dish for Souta. "Help yourself to as much as you'd like. Kami knows I can't finish it."

Souta tried to stifle another yawn as he hopped up onto the tall barstool in front of the counter. "Unless he's sleeping in your room, I'm guessing I missed Inuyasha."

"Kicked him out a few hours ago so I could get some work done."

Munching on the pizza, Souta asked, "Distacting you too much?"

Kagome grinned. "No, _I_ was distracting _him_ from finishing up his work."

Souta made a face and gestured as if he might throw up his pizza and Kagome laughed before stretching her arms up and yawning, asking, "Have you told jii-chan you're staying with me tonight? Don't want him up all night worrying."

"The man is over ninety years old, Kagome. He's probably already asleep."

"Shoot him a text at least. Give him some piece of mind." Kagome sighed. "It would be so much easier—"

"Don't even say it, Kagome. Jii-chan wouldn't sell the shrine."

"I know," Kagome agreed sadly. "But I got this place with two extra rooms with you and Jii-chan in mind."

"Hey, I like having a place to crash near school. Won't hear any complaints from me!"

"Good," Kagome huffed. "Well I'm going to call it a night," she told him while collecting her papers.

Souta chewed thoughtfully, staring at his plate in a daze. "Hey, nee-chan?"

Kagome paused on her way to her room and looked back at Souta expectantly.

"How come you never asked me about that night? When I got attacked?"

With a heavy sigh, Kagome came back to the kitchen and put down her files. "Because you obviously weren't ready to talk about it. And I didn't want to push." She smiled weakly. "I know, shocker, coming from the meddler of the century."

Souta looked back down again and Kagome frowned.

"Does this mean you're ready to tell me?"

She waited patiently while Souta stared at his hands, absentmindedly playing with his slice of pizza. He looked at her from the corner of his eye and glared at his hands again.

"When Dad first got attacked, I saw how much strain you and Kouga were under with all of Dad's medical bills. Especially since you went on leave at work and the experimental therapies and procedures we used to help him. And… I don't know, I remember what it was like when Mama was sick and trying to pay her bills…"

"Oh, Souta…"

"I wanted to help," he said quietly. He looked up at Kagome with tears in his eyes. "I don't know—"

Kagome grasped one of his hands tightly. "Souta, come on, it's me."

"I started dealing," he said harshly, his breaths quick and short. "I dropped out and started dealing for some yakuza thugs."

Souta was stunned when he felt Kagome envelop him in her arms and hug tightly. He heard her murmur his name in sympathy. He blinked back tears.

"You're not mad?"

"Of course I am!" Kagome cried. "You put yourself in such a dangerous situation for no reason! And it looks like it's come to bite you in the ass!" She hugged him more tightly. "You idiot!" she hissed. "But you're done with that, right?"

"Inuyasha scared me out of it. But I guess those inuyoukai still remembered my face."

Kagome pulled away but still held onto Souta's shoulders, searching his eyes desperately. "Souta, what happened?"

"I didn't get too far deep. Just wanted to make quick money so I sold at parties and raves, mostly. Ended up stepping on some of their turf and they got angry. Didn't help that there was already a turf war between the two groups."

Huffing in indignation, Kagome began pacing. "You're doing okay in school now, right? You're not lying to me?"

"No, I'm back," he promised her. "And I'm gonna graduate this year. The summer classes last year helped me make up the credits I lost."

"Then why have you been acting so cagey? Who is it that you're running off to meet? Kohaku doesn't even know who they are."

Souta surprised her by blushing. "I'm dating someone. We're taking it slow and no offense, but you guys are pretty overwhelming."

Kagome blinked at him before asking again, "When can I meet her?"

Souta raised his eyebrows and answered slowly, "… soon?"

She nodded and resumed her pacing, muttering under her breath. "I can't believe Inuyasha kept that from me!"

"Nee-chan, don't be mad at him—."

Rounding on him, Kagome yelled, "Don't be mad at him? Souta this was an _incredibly_ dangerous secret to keep from me! He should've known better!"

"Nee-chan," Souta insisted. He reached out and grabbed her arm to stop her from pacing. "He set me straight and protected me. The only reason Inuyasha didn't tell you at the time was because you were dealing with Dad's rehabilitation. Could you have been able to handle my bullshit at the same time?"

Kagome gaped at him before scowling. "That's besides the point, Souta! You're _my_ brother!"

"Inuyasha's been there for me, too! He's always looked out for me!" He added softly, "You know he's my family, too. Kagome, don't be angry with him for _my_ stupidity."

Relenting, Kagome's shoulders fell and she sighed. "I know. I just can't believe he would keep that from me."

"I asked him to. And he said he respected my boundaries and expected me to be the one to tell you. An agreement reliant on whether I re-enrolled at Tokyo Tech again. If I didn't, he was going to tell you." Souta wrinkled his nose and asked, "Did I get Inuyasha in trouble?"

"No… yes… I don't know, Souta," Kagome answered truthfully. "I think we've both had a long day and need to get to bed. I'll see you in the morning," she finished tiredly.

Souta watched as she gathered her work again and disappeared in her bedroom. Inside, Kagome was pacing again, hesitating as she stared at her phone. As she reached her hand out toward it, it began to ring, causing her to jump. Kagome took a moment to calm her breathing before answering.

"Kagome?" a worried voice asked.

Frowning in confusion, Kagome answered, "Speaking. Who's calling?"

"It's Ayame."


	38. Chapter 38

_Last Time…_

_Kagome's shoulders fell and she sighed. "I know. I just can't believe he would keep that from me."_

" _I asked him to. And he said he respected my boundaries and expected me to be the one to tell you. An agreement reliant on whether I re-enrolled at Tokyo Tech again. If I didn't, he was going to tell you." Souta wrinkled his nose and asked, "Did I get Inuyasha in trouble?"_

" _No… yes… I don't know, Souta," Kagome answered truthfully. "I think we've both had a long day and need to get to bed. I'll see you in the morning," she finished tiredly._

_Souta watched as she gathered her work again and disappeared in her bedroom. Inside, Kagome was pacing again, hesitating as she stared at her phone. As she reached her hand out toward it, it began to ring, causing her to jump. Kagome took a moment to calm her breathing before answering._

" _Kagome?" a worried voice asked._

_Frowning in confusion, Kagome answered, "Speaking. Who's calling?"_

" _It's Ayame."_

* * *

"Ayame?" Kagome shook her head and held her other hand to her temple. "What— how are you? How did you get this number?"

There was a slight hesitation before Ayame replied, "I looked up your father's file and saw you listed as the emergency contact. I'm sorry. I didn't know how else to reach you and I needed to talk to you—"

"It's fine, Ayame, really." Kagome cut off the other woman's panicked rambling. "Obviously, you really needed to reach me. What can I do for you?"

"It…" Kagome could hear Ayame stuttering on her end of the line.

Trying to make her voice as soft and soothing as possible, Kagome crooned, "Ayame, listen to me, everything will be fine. Just tell me what you needed to tell me."

"Can you meet me? I don't feel comfortable talking about it over the phone."

"Where are you?"

Ayame took a shaky breath over the phone. "I just got done with my shift at the hospital."

"Okay, take the train to Shibuya and I'll pick you up at the station. You can come over to my apartment."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. I'll see you soon, Ayame."

Less than a half an hour later, Ayame sat quietly in Kagome's living room, her fingers wrapped around the cup of tea that Kagome handed her. Ayame smiled in thanks and nodded at Souta as he waved at the two women on his way to his bedroom.

"Night, nee-chan."

"Night, Souta. I'll give you a ride on my way to work tomorrow."

"Kagome, I'm a grown man. I can make it to class on my own. Besides, the campus is out of the way for you."

Kagome turned and put a hand on her hip. "So you're turning down the chance to sleep in an extra twenty minutes _and_ avoid having to take public transportation?"

"Right. See you in the morning!" Souta chirped before disappearing into his room.

Ayame commented softly, "You two are very lucky to have each other."

"Can you mention that to him in the morning? Just so he knows?" Kagome joked. "What about you? Any siblings?"

"No… I… my mom had a tough time. She fell in with the wrong crowd and ran off. Then she had me and left me with my grandparents. My grandmother died before I even met Inuyasha. Then, it was just jii-chan and I until I started university. Then, he joined baa-chan. I've been on my own ever since."

"I'm sorry," Kagome said earnestly. "I can't imagine…"

Ayame shrugged and smiled back, understanding the other woman's sympathy and knowing that she had experienced similar pain in her own life. "You have your own pain to deal with," she voiced aloud.

Shifting uncomfortably, Ayame began hesitantly, "Kagome… I know that it's _none_ of my business, but I'm a youkai and I can't help but notice— there's a lot of Inuyasha's scent in this apartment and none of your husband's. I just want to make sure that it's okay for me to be here or to be privy—"

The sound of Kagome's laughter stunned Ayame and she stared at the raven-haired women with wide eyes. Kagome settled and blushed. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. But don't worry, Ayame, you're not privy to anything clandestine. Kouga and I… well we got divorced several months ago."

The bottom half of Ayame's mouth fell open and she quickly stopped her gaping to sputter out, "Oh… I—okay. Uhh… so I guess this means you and Inuyasha are…" Ayame waved her hands around grasping at empty air.

Kagome supplied, "Dating?"

"That's the word."

"Yeah, we are. Started dating casually and then I guess we fell into a real relationship a few months ago." Kagome shook her head and smiled at Ayame. Ayame weakly returned the smile and Kagome sighed as she sat next to her. "But that's not why you're here. So what's up? You sounded pretty shaken up on the phone."

Ayame frowned into her tea. "I think someone was following me." She closed her jade-colored eyes. " _Been_ following me," she amended. "It's so hard to tell here. There are so many scents," she murmured under her breath.

"I'm glad you feel like you could come to me, Ayame, but what good am I about something like this?"

"I thought you could talk to Kouga…"

With a smirk, Kagome assured her, "If that's your reasoning, then I can still offer a member of the Tokyo force to be at your disposal. Why didn't you just call Inuyasha directly in the first place?"

Wringing her hands together, Ayame shrugged. "He and I haven't really spoken since your father's funeral and we kind of ended with an argument." She glanced up at Kagome with a hint of a blush.

"Sounds like Inuyasha, alright," Kagome commented wryly. "You know better, though, Ayame. If you mention something like this, he's going to help."

"I also didn't need to hear the arrogant bastard going on and on about how I can't catch the scent." Ayame rolled her eyes and laughed lightly. "He's right, though. He'd probably grab onto it before I could."

"That's between us. We don't need to feed his ego," Kagome warned playfully. Her expression sobered and she knit her eyebrows in contemplation. "Tell me more about what makes you feel like you're being followed— not that I doubt you—" she added quickly. "I just want a clearer picture."

Ayame's grip on the mug tightened and she quickly put it down on Kagome's coffee table before she broke it. "It's difficult to explain… I've been sensing _something_ for at least a week, hopefully not any longer than that. I do my best to lose them on my way home from work, but I don't know if I've succeeded or they just want me to think that I have."

Kagome frowned in bemusement. "Why would someone be after you?"

"I don't know," Ayame whispered. She blinked quickly and Kagome could catch the hue of red that contrasted against her jade eyes as she fought back tears. "I don't—" her voice caught on a stifled sob.

Immediately, Kagome reached out and wrapped her arms around the other woman comfortingly. "It's okay," she promised. "We'll figure it out."

Kagome continued to utter soft assurances and waited several moments for Ayame to settle down. Once she did, Kagome pulled away while Ayame wiped at her eyes.

"Look, it's late. Why don't you crash here for tonight? I'd feel better knowing you were here than at home alone, especially when you've admitted you're not sure whether they've followed you there."

Ayame took a moment to respond and Kagome thought she was going to refuse. Then, Ayame asked quietly, "Would that be okay?"

Smiling warmly, Kagome guaranteed, "It's no problem. Hey, are you working tomorrow night?"

"No, I'm off tomorrow night."

"Perfect! Then you can catch up on your sleep here, if that's alright with you? And then, once I'm done at work, we can go see Inuyasha after and get his opinion."

"Thank you, Kagome."

The two rose from the couch and Kagome showed Ayame to the second spare bedroom, leaving her for a moment to return with a set of pajamas and another set of clothes.

"Oh, you didn't have to—"

Waving a hand at her, Kagome brushed away Ayame's protests. "You're a guest in my home. And a friend. You need my help and I'm giving it to you unequivocally."

She spoke gently yet with such firmness in her voice that Ayame knew it would be futile to argue with her. Ayame's expression softened and she smiled at Kagome.

"Inuyasha's lucky to have found you, you know," she commented. "As someone who's grown up with the cocky son of a bitch, trust me when I say that he couldn't have done a better job than finding you."

Kagome smiled to herself wistfully. "I think I'm the lucky one a lot of the time," she admitted.

"As long as you don't tell him that. Might go to his head."

Taking on an overexaggerated look of horror, Kagome gasped, "Kami forbid."

They laughed quietly until Kagome wished Ayame good night and returned to her own bedroom. As soon as she closed the door behind her, Kagome stared at it thoughtfully before sighing and finally settling in her bed. She kept tossing and turning in bed before groaning and reaching for her phone. Chewing on her lip, she dialed.

There was a click after only one ring.

"Everything okay?" Inuyasha asked, his voice thick with sleep.

"I'm sorry," Kagome moaned. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"Yeah, me, neither it's four in the morning," Inuyasha whined. His voice sounded muffled and Kagome knew he had his face buried in his pillow. "But something has you worried, so spit it out."

At her silence, Inuyasha spoke again, his voice much clearer and more alert than a moment before. "Kagome? Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine."

She could hear Inuyasha's relieved puff of breath and she settled against her pillows, staring at the twinkling lights that permeated through the gauzy curtains of the glass wall giving her a view of Shibuya.

"But someone isn't," Inuyasha guessed.

"When was the last time you spoke to Ayame?"

"Ayame? What happened?"

"Nothing, she's okay. She's spending the night here."

"Kagome, what the hell happened?" he demanded.

"Nothing happened… but I don't have a good feeling… I can't explain it."

Inuyasha rolled over in his bed and groaned, rubbing at his face with his free hand. He pulled the phone away so he could glance at the time, groaning again. He sat up and rested his elbows on his bent knees. "I'll talk to her tomorrow," he promised.

"Oh, I know you will. I already told her you would," she quipped.

Unable to fight the smirk curving his lips, Inuyasha chuckled. "Thanks for letting me know."

Kagome's soft laughter filtered through his phone and Inuyasha took a deep breath. He raised a quizzical brow when Kagome called out his name.

"Yeah?"

"Ayame mentioned that you two haven't spoken since my father's funeral. I didn't press Ayame on it, but please don't tell me that I got in the way between you two again."

"Oi, you aren't getting in the way of _anything_ for me. Except maybe a full night of sleep." He frowned at her silence. "Kagome?"

"What—"

"I was being an idiot and didn't want to listen to her advice when she was right. She called me out on it. I didn't appreciate it and stormed off." Inuyasha sighed. "I promise it's not as big of a deal as it sounds. Don't dwell on it, Kagome."

"Okay," she finally agreed after a long silence, but Inuyasha could still hear the reluctance and curiosity in her voice.

"It's water under the bridge and is irrelevant. Kagome, trust me."

Inuyasha heard her sigh but when she repeated her agreement, it was with more confidence. Then, he heard shuffling sounds.

"What are you up to?"

"Well since I can't sleep, I might as well try and get the work I _didn't_ get done earlier… done."

Inuyasha smirked at her huffiness and Kagome narrowed her eyes at her phone.

"I can tell by your silence that you have that annoyingly smug look on your face. Get rid of it."

"Not my fault you were procrastinating."

"It is when you're so distracting."

"Want some company?" he asked, as if he didn't hear her.

"Inuyasha," Kagome groaned. "If you come over, I can't focus on my work."

Inuyasha was already pulling a t-shirt on over his head and walking out of his apartment, heading for the stairwell to the roof. "I'll be on my best behavior."

"Sure you will," Kagome droned.

There was a faint scratching sound and Inuyasha knew that she had begun to make notes in the drafts of the big contract she was trying to close. That slightly dampened his mood. Despite his assurances, he had planned on distracting her mildly, since they were both awake. He inhaled deeply when he met the brisk air of the spring night. Inuyasha tensed his legs and was airborne within a heartbeat, the nightlife below him blurring by.

Kagome frowned at the silence on her phone. She lifted her eyes from the contract to glance at the screen to make sure they hadn't lost the call or that he hung up on her. Seeing that the call was still ongoing, she called out, "Hello? Inuyasha?"

She startled when her bedroom door opened, a grinning Inuyasha stepping through. He held his phone up and ended the call. Kagome blinked at first, then immediately scowled at him.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing here? I should have known that you bullying the superintendent into giving you his copy of my apartment key was a bad idea— _mmph_!"

Inuyasha effectively ended Kagome's tirade by simply moving her files away from where they were spread out across her covers and lowering his head to capture her lips with his. Kagome soon responded, pressing back and immediately sliding her hands up his arms to cross behind his neck.

Once Inuyasha moved his lips to her neck, nipping at the spot just below her ear, Kagome breathlessly whispered, "I told you that you would be distracting."

Kagome felt his lips curve against hers in a satisfied smile before he pulled away, his gold eyes bright from the exhilaration of his run from his apartment and subsequent greeting.

"I didn't say I wouldn't be," he pointed out. "Just said that I'd be on my best behavior."

"And this is the best you could do?"

Inuyasha gave her another quick kiss, but his hands continued to slowly roam up her sides, light, teasing touches that didn't help Kagome in slowing down her breathing. She yelped, only to have Inuyasha muffle the sound by pressing their lips together again. Kagome had yelped because Inuyasha suddenly tightened his grip around her waist and tossed himself into her bed, rolling them so that he didn't crush her with his weight. It was his turn to be muffled by a kiss when Kagome ground her hips against his, causing him to groan lowly.

Kagome laughed lightly, prompting Inuyasha to open his eyes and bite back another groan. Kagome's lips lifted into a triumphant smile and she leaned down to place light kisses along his collarbone. She hummed lightly and settled against him, pillowing her head on his chest, her smile widening when his hand snaked along her arm to intertwine their fingers.

"You're going to leave me hanging?" he playfully whined.

Lifting her gaze towards his, Kagome rolled her eyes. "I didn't imagine our first time together in years would include having my little brother and your youkai best friend in the next few rooms."

"Hey, me neither, but I was ready to go!" he griped, his complaint marred by his grin.

"Hmm… believe me, I know." To prove her point, Kagome shifted as she lay on top of him and the sound of Inuyasha's sharp intake of breath filled the air around them.

Inuyasha let go of her hand to wrap his arms around her torso and rolled them onto their sides. He brushed her bangs from her eyes while the arm she was nestled against rubbed her back. In turn, Kagome traced patterns across his chest idly. They remained silent, lost in their own separate thoughts, but still connected to each other.

Finally, Inuyasha cleared his throat and leaned back against Kagome's pillows to stare at the ceiling. He breathed in her scent as it swarmed him, relaxing with each one. He asked quietly, "So let's say the next time I'm over and you don't happen to have an overabundance of house guests?"

Kagome chuckled and angled her head up to look at him. Sensing her movement, Inuyasha didn't turn his head, but his golden gaze slid towards her. Kagome wrinkled her nose.

"I don't like the idea of planning it out like that… it feels so _clinical_. I say, if it happens, it happens." She laughed again. "Which, knowing you—"

"I'm dragging you over to my place where _no one_ ever crashes."

Kagome's next reply was cut off by a large yawn and she felt Inuyasha's torso rumble as he laughed. He turned back towards her and kissed the crown of her head as he felt a wave of lethargy come over him.

"Finally able to put your mind to rest?"

"No, the idea of having sex with you just happened to make me sleepy."

Inuyasha growled and poked her in the ribs, but she merely swatted his hand away. With another yawn, Kagome nodded to his previous question and pressed herself closer to him, nestling her head on his shoulder. Inuyasha felt her kiss the exposed skin of his shoulder from where his sleeve rolled up.

"Thank you, Inuyasha." She hummed and took a deep, even breath. "It feels like that's all I'm doing is thanking you."

"Unnecessary," he mumbled.

" _Very_ necessary," she replied.

"Kagome?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

Inuyasha held his breath, waiting for _something_. He could hear himself swallow in the silence and continued to wait, anxiety rising and causing his chest to tighten. He lifted his chin from where he rested it on top of Kagome's head to lean back and peer at her, wondering if perhaps Kagome had already fallen asleep. At the sight of her, he released a trembling breath. She peered up at him, the false moonlight from the Tokyo skyline catching in her light brown eyes. They were filled with awe and warmth— all directed at him. This was the sight that caused Inuyasha to lose his breath.

The corners of Kagome's lips quirked up slightly in contentment. She reached up from in between them and cupped his cheek. Inuyasha gulped again in anticipation and Kagome's smirk stretched into a complete smile.

"I love you, too," she said, as if it were the most obvious, simple truth.

Hearing her say that to him for the first time in years gave Inuyasha such a feeling of completion he was shocked to blink and then feel Kagome's fingertips pat his cheeks gently, dragging away the wetness.

"Inuyasha?" she asked worriedly.

"I never thought I'd be able to hear you say that to me again," he confessed, his voice rough.

Kagome reached up to kiss him, murmuring, "I love you," against his lips repeatedly, punctuating each statement with another kiss.

"Have I satisfied your need to hear those words from me now?" she teased as she settled back down, resting her head on his shoulder.

"No fucking chance," Inuyasha snorted. Despite the gruffness of his words, his actions, as usual, spoke the truth as his fingers traced Kagome's face delicately. "Better get some sleep."

Yawning once more, Kagome nodded. "Won't find an argument from me," she said, sleep slurring her words.

Inuyasha chuckled under his breath and tugged her closer to him. It was the best night of sleep either of them had in years.


	39. Chapter 39

_Last Time…_

_"I love you, too," she said, as if it were the most obvious, simple truth._

_Hearing her say that to him for the first time in years gave Inuyasha such a feeling of completion he was shocked to blink and then feel Kagome's fingertips pat his cheeks gently, dragging away the wetness._

_"Inuyasha?" she asked worriedly._

_"I never thought I'd be able to hear you say that to me again," he confessed, his voice rough._

_Kagome reached up to kiss him, murmuring, "I love you," against his lips repeatedly, punctuating each statement with another kiss._

_"Have I satisfied your need to hear those words from me now?" she teased as she settled back down, resting her head on his shoulder._

_"No fucking chance," Inuyasha snorted. Despite the gruffness of his words, his actions, as usual, spoke the truth as they traced Kagome's face delicately. "Better get some sleep."_

_Yawning once more, Kagome nodded. "Won't find an argument from me," she said, sleep slurring her words._

_Inuyasha chuckled under his breath and tugged her closer to him. It was the best night of sleep either of them had in years._

* * *

When Kagome woke up, she was disappointed to see and feel that she was alone in her bed, the spot where Inuyasha's sleeping form should have been cool to her touch. She peeled her covers away and swung her legs over the edge, lifting her arms above her head in a stretch as she yawned and squinted at the bright sunlight entering her bedroom through the glass wall. Inuyasha apparently seemed to have pulled back the curtains and allow the natural light to awaken her. She glanced at the clock on her nightstand and groaned at the late morning hour.

Walking into the living room, Kagome was surprised to see Inuyasha sitting on the couch, her laptop in front of him. He drank some juice while he appeared to research something, the click-clacking sound of the keyboard being the only noise in the whole apartment.

"You turned off my alarm?" she asked, her irritation evident by the placement of her hands on her hips.

Without lifting his gaze from the screen, Inuyasha shrugged, completely nonplussed. "Damn thing was annoying and woke me up."

"I'm late for work!"

Inuyasha waved away her concern. "You're not late for anything. Called Chiyo, told her you're working from home today."

"Oh I am?"

"You are."

Kagome rolled her eyes and looked back down the hall. "I hope Souta didn't have a morning class—"

"He did. But I didn't want to wake you so I borrowed your car and dropped him off since he said you were going to give him a ride. He also mentioned that he finally told you about the stupid stunt he pulled last year." Inuyasha looked up at her through his lashes with a grin turning up the corners of his mouth. "He said I have nothing to worry about."

Kagome shook her head. "Do you have an answer for everything?" she asked, an amused smile on her face.

"Haven't you learned by now?" he countered.

"Okay, then answer _this_ — why did I have to wake up alone?"

Inuyasha froze for a moment, grimacing to himself, but then gestured at the laptop.

"What are you working on?"

Inuyasha looked up and glanced at Kagome, purposefully patting the spot next to him. "Ayame and I woke up around the same time. I got to talking to her and decided to ask Shippo about it while Ayame went out and got breakfast."

"You let her go out by herself after hearing what she had to tell you?"

"It's okay, Kagome. He gave me the same spiel."

Kagome turned towards the source of Ayame's voice and laughed when she saw that Inuyasha was on a video call with her so that he could keep tabs of her while she ventured outside of Kagome's apartment alone.

"I thought it was a bit overkill," she drawled.

"Inuyasha doesn't do anything by halves," Kagome agreed.

"Anyway, I'm right around the corner, so I'll be up in a few minutes."

"Oi, you're not ending this call until you're standing in this room," Inuyasha ordered, though he remained focused on the messages he was receiving from Shippo. "I think we might have gotten something." Kagome elbowed him and Inuyasha amended, "Alright, _Shippo_ found something."

"Wait for me!" The background surrounding Ayame turned into a blur as she used her youkai speed before the call ended.

"Damn her," Inuyasha muttered. "Never listens to fucking directions." He paused what he was doing to pull Kagome onto his lap. She raised an eyebrow at him in a silent question. "Next time I spend the night, and every time after, I'll be right there when you wake up."

"Promise?" Kagome asked, her fingers traveling up to stroke his ears.

Inuyasha's ears twitched and he nuzzled her face. "Promise."

He cursed under his breath and Kagome shot him a puzzled look. Before he could answer, there was a burst of knocks. Kagome was disoriented by how fast Ayame had arrived, opening her front door in a daze as Ayame knocked on it.

Ayame rushed in to set the bag down on Kagome's kitchen counter before sitting on the arm of Kagome's couch to peer at the laptop. "Well?" she asked impatiently.

"Using her name and your knowledge of specific dates, we were able to find your mother after she left you with your grandparents."

"You found her?" Ayame asked, shell-shocked.

Inuyasha's face darkened. "Not exactly."

Ayame waited, looking at him expectantly, fidgeting with nervous energy. Finally, she demanded, "Inuyasha Takado, you tell me exactly what you found out!"

"Ayame, your mother's dead. She died about a year ago."

Ayame stiffened and the color drained from her face. "Okay…" she said eventually, her tone carefully even. "I knew that that was always going to be a possibility." A beat before she scoffed disdainfully. "I knew that was the likelihood… How did she die?"

Inuyasha's mouth fell into a grim frown. "I don't… maybe you should wait and digest this information before—"

"Damn it, Inuyasha, just tell me!"

"She was murdered," he said quietly. "The crime scene… the place where she was staying looked indicative of domestic violence. The apartment was a mess… there was drug paraphernalia. Neighbors and witnesses say that your mother was known to associate herself with men—" Inuyasha sighed heavily. "They told the authorities that your mother was heavily involved in youkai gangs."

Kagome frowned and hugged herself as she listened in.

"So what you're telling me…?"

"The guys who are going after you may, in some way, have some kind of connection to your mother and whatever unfinished business they feel she owes them."

Ayame clenched her fists. "So what you're saying is?" she growled, her voice tight with tension. "Just fucking say it, Inuyasha!"

"What do you _want_ me to say?"

"That my mom was some kind of gangbanging slut!"

"Ayame, _no one_ is saying that—" Kagome immediately tried to diffuse the situation.

"Fine!" Ayame cried. "Then _I_ am! What I don't understand is why she would do that to herself! My grandparents loved her! They were good people. _I_ loved her and she fucking _left me_! She left _them_ and broke their hearts for absolutely no reason!"

Kagome made to move towards her, but Inuyasha held a hand to stall her. He stood and approached Ayame slowly. Ayame glared at him and moved away, but when Inuyasha hugged her tightly, Ayame punched at his chest a handful of times before her fists clenched his shirt as she sobbed.

"I believed that she had a good reason to leave us behind," Ayame eventually said in a tiny voice once she calmed down.

"She did," Kagome told her. "Because she loved you."

Ayame shook her head violently and hissed, "How would you know?"

Inuyasha pulled away from her and shot her a warning glare, but Kagome jerked her head at Inuyasha. She sighed and answered, knowing that the distraught youkai didn't expect nor want one. "Ayame, your mother loved you enough to make sure you grew up in a home that was safe and full of love. She gave your grandparents the best part of her. You."

"Kagome's right. You could've grown up watching from the sidelines as your mom destroyed herself. Your mother cared enough to make sure you were safe."

Ayame's green eyes stared coldly at Kagome until she broke her gaze, looking down at the floor. "It's a nice thought," she said numbly. With a trembling breath, she apologized, "I'm sorry, Kagome."

"Don't worry about it. It's a lot of information to take in." Kagome shared a look with Inuyasha. "Is there anything you need right now?"

"I think I'm just going to head back to the room and be alone for a while."

"Please eat something," Kagome pleaded. She rushed to the counter to dig through the bag that Ayame brought up, but raised her head when she heard the soft click of a door closing. She turned when she felt Inuyasha place a hand on her shoulder. That hand slid down her shoulder to wrap around her waist and tuck her into his side.

Kagome sighed. "I just want to help her."

"I know. She knows, too. But it's a lot to take in. Give her some time."

"I hope this wasn't for nothing."

"It's definitely useful information. For now, I'm going to set a protective detail on her. I'll call Mizuki in a few."

"Mizuki?"

"Who else would I call?"

Kagome shifted uncomfortably in his arms. "So you and Kouga still haven't…"

Inuyasha tightened his grip around her to still her movement. "No," he said in a clipped tone. "It's pretty obvious that he doesn't want anything to do with me and I'm okay with that. He doesn't owe me anything."

"How could you say that?" Kagome demanded. "You two were partners! Friends!"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Now we're not."

Kagome grunted in a dissatisfactory manner and Inuyasha lifted her chin up with his finger to look her in the eyes and stop her before she blamed herself as he knew she would. "I know," he said softly. "Time is the only thing I can give him right now."

Grumbling, "When did you become so considerate?", Kagome buried her face into his chest. "What do we do now?"

"Keh! I think the word you're looking for is 'compassionate'. And I happened to learn from my best friend, who is the most compassionate woman I know."

"Ayame _is_ a nurse. I think it'd be a prerequisite."

Inuyasha tweaked her nose in censure. "Meant you, idiot," he muttered.

Kagome's face softened and she rewarded Inuyasha with a gentle smile, her brown eyes shining with the smile as well. It took Inuyasha aback, and for a moment, neither of them breathed. He returned the sentiment with the slight softening of his gaze.

"Would it take you long to finish your work on those contract drafts?"

A dark brow arched in confusion. "If I can concentrate, no, it shouldn't take me more than forty-five minutes, at most."

"Perfect."

"What are you planning?" Kagome asked suspiciously.

"Well, I wanted to get some leads on Ayame's situation, so I was going to sniff around her apartment to try and catch the scent. It's a long shot, but I might as well try. She described the trail earlier while you were sleeping and we were talking about it. But, if I'm being honest, I think the root of it all has to do with her childhood."

Kagome groaned. She crossed her arms over her chest. She missed how Inuyasha's eyes honed in on how her movement slightly pushed her chest up. "Okay, but what does this have to do with my work?"

"It'll take me twenty minutes, max, to snoop around over there and get back here. The train to Adachi shouldn't take more than an hour, so you could finish your work on the ride there if you don't finish it by the time we leave for the station."

"Adachi? Train?"

"What the hell do you think I said?" Inuyasha began pulling food from the bag and serving out breakfast on two plates for himself and Kagome. "If I have to investigate this, starting back in Adachi, then I will." He stopped to glance up at her, adding, "And I'd like you to see where I came from."

Kagome blinked at him. She had known where Inuyasha came from. He told her when they had met as young teenagers. Her father hired Izayoi to work for his firm and the single mother relocated to the more affluent ward of Tokyo from Adachi, where she and Inuyasha had lived in a danchi. Inuyasha was usually tightlipped about his childhood. Kagome realized that this was Inuyasha extending an offer to become closer, by revealing his beginning.

"Of course I want to go with you."

Inuyasha shot her a relieved grin and she responded by taking one of the rice balls from Inuyasha's plate and biting into it, her cheeks full as she smiled. Inuyasha mock pouted and reacted by taking a slice of French toast from her.

"Fair play," Kagome admitted with overdone resignation. She chewed thoughtfully before asking, "Why not just drive up?"

Inuyasha twisted his face in a slight grimace. "Don't want your car to get parted. It's well taken care of and relatively new— it'll get attention from the assholes at the local chop shop or some kids looking to make some quick cash."

"Oh, then could we just drive your car? I've been telling you— it's too ostentatious."

She giggled when Inuyasha shot her a brooding glare and the two continued their breakfast in relative peace, until Kagome took another of Inuyasha's rice balls.

* * *

Kagome just finished reviewing the notes she had made on the contract drafts when Inuyasha nudged her gently. She jerked her head up and he nodded towards the window.

"About to pull into the station."

Kagome shuffled her papers together and put them in the large envelope before putting the envelope into the backpack she brought with her. Inuyasha guffawed at the sight of her using her old backpack, but Kagome retorted that she didn't want to carry her briefcase around. When she wasn't looking, Inuyasha was staring at the backpack with something close to fondness, the nostalgia getting to the hanyou even if he didn't want to admit it.

Gripping her hand, Inuyasha sheltered her from the crowd as they piled out of the train car and onto the station platform. Despite it being over a decade since he and his mother moved to Nakano, it still came like second nature to Inuyasha. He guided Kagome through the opposing crowd and onto the street.

Observant of their surroundings as they walked, Kagome noticed that as they walked, the homes became smaller, the lawns more unkempt. The amount of people strolling on the streets decreased. Eventually, they became rows and rows of identical apartment complexes— all concrete and steal.

They rounded a corner and Kagome heard Inuyasha sigh. She didn't know if he had meant for her to hear it or whether he didn't even notice that he made the sound. His eyes were focused on an abandoned building at the end of the block. The building looked as if it hadn't been occupied in years. There was a playground in the front yard. The metal was rusted and falling apart. Chains swung loosely in the wind where the swing seats used to be.

"Ayame and I used to stay after school and play here before going home," he said quietly.

Kagome widened her eyes and took another look at the playground and school, her eyes alighting on the worn sign above the building entrance. "This was your old elementary school?"

Inuyasha nodded. That's all he would say, Kagome knew.

"It's hard for me to imagine a little Inuyasha running around here. A big backpack on his shoulders. Eager to learn."

Inuyasha scoffed. "Keh! The place was a shithole. But it was the closest public school. Mom didn't want me traveling too far since she couldn't take me to school without being late for work."

Kagome watched Inuyasha stare at the old building, an intense look in his eyes. She slowly laced her fingers with his and used her free hand to wrap around his upper arm, resting her head against his shoulder. Inuyasha squeezed and tugged at her hand to pull her away. Kagome cast one more glance over her shoulder to stare at one of the settings of Inuyasha's childhood.

"But you met Ayame here."

Inuyasha frowned and shrugged. "Ayame and I went to school here… but I first met her at the danchi when Mom and I moved in."

He slowed his pace when they approached the tall apartment complex. Gingerly, he opened the rickety gate, shocked that it was still intact nearly twenty years later. They stared up at the identical façade that went up hundreds of feet in the air. Kagome started pulling him up the stairs.

"Well? Which one was it?"

Inuyasha blinked and wrapped an arm around her waist, leaping up easily and landing on the eighth floor landing. He took her to a corner studio and waved a hand towards it.

"This is it."

Kagome stared at the door and asked quietly, "Do you want to go in?"

Inuyasha made a face at her. "No," he scoffed. "Someone else is probably living there, I'm not gonna act like some creepy motherfuc—"

"Is someone there?" a voice called out.

Kagome and Inuyasha flinched away from the door when it was pulled back, a middle-aged woman staring at the couple in mild confusion. She dried her hands on a wash towel.

"Can I help you?"

While Inuyasha remained silent, Kagome stepped forward with a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry to disturb you, ma'am. I, well, we were just looking around the neighborhood. You see, this is where my boyfriend used to live when he was a child."

The woman looked from her to Inuyasha before smiling in recognition. "You're Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha frowned and demanded, "How do you know my name?"

"Please, come in. I can explain."

Kagome looked to Inuyasha and he stepped in front of Kagome to enter the apartment first, keeping his hold on her hand tight. Whereas Inuyasha had a wary air about him, Kagome was staring around the small apartment with curiosity. She deflated slightly in disappointment when she realized she wouldn't be able to recognize anything that might have been retained since the Takados moved out. She sat next to Inuyasha on the couch while the woman sat opposite them after placing a pot and tea cups in front of them.

"So how do you know my name?" Inuyasha asked again, without preamble.

Kagome didn't even bother to hiss at Inuyasha in embarrassment, merely offering the woman a red-faced smile before reaching for a cup of tea.

The woman smiled and then pulled out a small envelope, handing it to Inuyasha. "We've lived here for the past twenty years, right after you and your mother moved out. You see, it was all that my husband and I could afford at the time and even after we got jobs that could have afforded us a relatively nicer apartment, we couldn't bear to leave this place. Our son was also very attached." She pointed at the envelope. "All due to that."

Inuyasha furrowed his brow as he opened up the envelope and reached into it. Immediately, he recognized a slip of paper with his mother's handwriting. There was another slip with handwriting he couldn't place, but was familiar to him. The third item in the envelope gave him pause.

It was a weathered photo of a younger Izayoi, her face just as beautiful as it was now, but without lines around her eyes and mouth. Her slender arms were wrapped around the back of a high chair that an infant Inuyasha sat in. He sat with a smashed cupcake on the tray in front of him, the bottom half of his face covered in frosting. Inuyasha's mouth was open in a wide grin, his gold eyes crinkled in laughter. He had only a small tuft of silver hair that was almost indiscernible because a large hand was nestled over it affectionately. The hand was connected to the image of a man who looked just like Inuyasha, except his features were more angular and elfin-like. The man's other arm was wrapped around Izayoi as he smiled warmly at the camera.

The photograph shook in Inuyasha's hand and Kagome closed her hand over his to still the shaking. Together, they flipped over the picture and saw Izayoi's neat penmanship labeling the photo, 'Inuyasha's first birthday.'

Kagome and Inuyasha stared at the photograph, Kagome with a small grin, Inuyasha with conflict evident in his expression.

"The letters are what convinced us to stay."

Inuyasha looked back at the two slips of paper in his other hand and brought them to his face. His eyes skimmed over his mother's letter, unable to process the words. He knew vaguely that he was eager to read the other letter, his mind finally recognizing the familiar handwriting as the one that had signed nearly sixteen years' worth of birthday and holiday cards. His father's.

_Inuyasha,_

_It's your first birthday and I'm on my way out of the office to meet your mother at home so we can celebrate. You're far too young to comprehend what I say next, but I know your mother well enough to know that she will have the foresight to save this for you when you are older so that you can understand._

_As I have been for the last six months, I've been entrenched in a long drawn out proceeding with my first wife. It is tedious and keeps me away from you and Izayoi. But on today, your first birthday, I assure you that nothing will keep me from the two of you. It won't be easy, Inuyasha. But have enough faith in me to know that I won't stop fighting until the day our family is truly whole._

_Never doubt the depth with which your mother and I love you. Nor that I love Izayoi. Despite the ugly rumors you will hear growing up, it has always been love that brought us together and brought you into this world._

_Today is a happy day. And it will be for as long as I can ensure it. Soon, every day will be a happy day._

_Your father._

Kagome read over his shoulder and then looked up at Inuyasha, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Inuyasha?"

"He loved me," Inuyasha said hoarsely. "And for almost sixteen years, I was a fucking brat to him."

Kagome grasped his hands tightly. "Please don't do this."

Inuyasha rose abruptly and rushed out of the small apartment. Kagome hurried and put the letters and photograph back in the envelope, carefully putting it in her backpack before bowing hastily in front of the woman.

"I'm sorry for the abrupt departure, ma'am. We appreciate your help!"

Kagome chased after Inuyasha before the woman could reply. The woman watched Kagome leave and pulled a phone from her pocket.

As soon as Kagome ran out, however, she nearly collided face first with Inuyasha's back. He stood out in the hall, holding onto the railing, his head bowed. Kagome frowned and crouched underneath one of his arms to squeeze in between his body and the railing, cupping his face in her hands.

"Hey," she said calmly, " _Hey_ , talk to me. Don't do this to yourself, please." Kagome's voice broke as she pleaded.

Inuyasha exhaled slowly. "I was so angry at him for so long for _no_ reason." He clenched his eyes shut and tossed his head in an effort to remove Kagome's hands from him. "I don't… I can't…"

Kagome made soft shushing sounds. "I can't, either."

He let out bark of laughter, an out of place sound that managed to find its way into their situation. The two fell into silence as Inuyasha struggled to control his emotions. He leaned back on his heels, tightening his grip on the railing. The metal keened as it bent between his fingers and Kagome's hands rubbed his shoulders soothingly. Inuyasha nestled his face at the juncture of Kagome's neck and shoulder, breathing as deeply as he could.

"What do you need me to do?" Kagome asked quietly.

Inuyasha lifted his head and pressed his lips against hers, his hands finally releasing the railing to wrap around her tightly, pulling her against him. Kagome didn't stand a chance under his assault. Before she could respond to his initial kiss, Inuyasha began to pepper light kisses on her neck and jaw, returning only when Kagome aggressively sought out his mouth. Kagome knew that he was finally allowing himself to feel the grief of his father's death, buried under nearly a decade of denial, and she let him lose himself in her. Allowed herself to shield him from the pain. Her arms came around his torso, her hands spreading across his broad back as if she were guarding him. Inuyasha knew, could feel the love and support she was offering. He knew she had no idea how much she kept him afloat from the swell of pain, tethered him against the pull of numbness.

The kiss lost its urgency, less of a desperate need, and morphed into a gentle affirmation. Their hands roamed in assurance of the others' presence rather than in a heated frenzy. Inuyasha pulled away, his chest heaving and brushing against hers as they caught their breath.

"I… I need to do something."

"What do you need me to do?" Kagome asked again.

"Be there with me," Inuyasha said, his eyes boring into hers.

"Promise."

After a long train ride to Setagaya, Kagome looked to her side to watch Inuyasha. His face was carefully composed, impassive enough, but he could never hide from Kagome if she looked at his eyes. They were sorrowful and full of regret. She leaned her head against his shoulder and brought her eyes to rest where his were focused.

It had been ten years, but the grave of Toga Takado was immaculately maintained, the stone polished and smooth despite its exposure to the elements. Fresh incense wafted up and surrounded them in its smoky aroma.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here to say goodbye," Inuyasha said quietly.


	40. Chapter 40

_Last Time…_

_After a long train ride to Setagaya, Kagome looked to her side to watch Inuyasha. His face was carefully composed, impassive enough, but he could never hide from Kagome if she looked at his eyes. They were sorrowful and full of regret. She leaned her head against his shoulder and brought her eyes to rest where his were focused._

_It had been ten years, but the grave of Toga Takado was immaculately maintained, the stone polished and smooth despite its exposure to the elements. Fresh incense wafted up and surrounded them in its smoky aroma._

" _I'm sorry I wasn't here to say goodbye," Inuyasha said quietly._

* * *

"You're here, now, Inuyasha," Kagome told him soothingly, rubbing his arm. "That's all that matters."

Continuing, Inuyasha said, "I remember everything about that morning. Mom was so fuc— _she wasn't herself anymore._ " Inuyasha clenched his eyes and his fists. "It was so bad that I had to get her out of bed. Force her to get ready. Because I knew that as much as I didn't want to go, she _needed_ to." He paused to take in a choked breath.

Inuyasha crouched down in front of the stone and reached a hand out towards it, his claws nearly grazing it until he snatched it back. "And then, that bitch wouldn't even let her near. It wasn't bad enough that we were barred from coming to the wake. Forced her to watch him get buried from afar, too. But Mom came almost every day after. Sat right here to be with you. No one could keep you two apart. Not anymore."

"I should've been with her that day. But I was so angry. I failed you both. I'm sorry… Dad."

Kagome knelt down beside him and gently laid down the wreath of flowers that they had picked up on the way to the cemetery. Inuyasha nodded, grateful that she had thought of that. He would have felt stupid coming to this spot empty handed. Kagome glanced at Inuyasha and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry that I never had the chance to meet you."

Inuyasha stared at her and watched in captivation as she addressed his father. Kagome had spoken softly, but in the quiet of the cemetery, her voice echoed like a choir— light and full of feeling.

"I'm afraid that I don't know too much about you… as I met your son after your passing. But I know he gets his handsome looks from you. And I have to believe that his stubborn streak comes from you, too, since Izayoi is far too kind to have given Inuyasha such an obnoxious attitude." Kagome cracked a small smile and met Inuyasha's eyes for a moment. He gaped at her before smirking weakly in return.

Kagome's smile grew. "On the other hand, he gets his strength and extraordinary determination from you as well. And he would've been loathed to admit it before today, but he's so similar to you… He must be— I can see it in the way Izayoi looks at him. He hasn't had an easy time growing up, but he's loyal, brave, and never takes the easy way out, even if it will kill him. It scares the shit out of me, to be honest. I'd say excuse my language, but something tells me you would just laugh it off… He _must_ have gotten that warped sense of humor from you. So thank you. I owe you for gifting me with my best friend; it's a gift that would take me lifetimes to pay you back. But I _can_ promise that I'll never abandon him. That I'll protect him in any way and with everything that I have."

She turned to Inuyasha and whispered, "I promise that he won't ever feel alone again."

Inuyasha curled his arm around her and the two stared at his father's name etched in stone together beneath the late afternoon sunlight. When Kagome began to shift next to him, he realized that the way she was crouching must have been uncomfortable. He stood and pulled her up with him, holding her steady while she adjusted to putting her weight onto her legs, which had gone numb.

Kagome dusted grass and dirt from her jeans and froze when she saw and pointed at the grave marker.

"Hey, what's that?"

Inuyasha frowned at the single flower resting on top of it. The flower was bell-shaped and had a wilting appearance to it, its deep, wine-colored petals glossy in the waning sunlight. Kagome reached out to pick it up, but Inuyasha grabbed her wrist and snatched it away.

"Don't touch it!" he hissed.

"What is it?"

Inuyasha stared at the flower and jerked his head up, narrowing his gaze into the distance. Kagome looked to where he was staring but of course, her eyesight wasn't as sharp as his. Inuyasha began to pull her and she jogged to keep up with his stride. Without warning, he turned and lifted her onto his back before breaking out into a sprint. He came to a sudden stop in another part of the cemetery several hundred meters away. Kagome looked around and could just barely make out where they were standing seconds ago. Inuyasha sniffed and growled low under his breath.

"We need to go back to Adachi," he said suddenly.

"Adachi? Inuyasha, what's going on?"

Tightening his grip on her legs, Inuyasha bounded up into the air and Kagome had only the slightest warning with the tensing of his back so that she could wrap her arms around his neck just in time.

"Inuyasha, I know that your thought process is going a kilometer a minute, but _please_ , fill me in."

"That flower was a belladonna flower."

"Isn't that poisonous?"

Inuyasha nodded and his pace increased. "I can't _believe_ I didn't notice it before." He grunted as he swerved and Kagome belatedly realized they were still on the ground and he had narrowly avoided an oncoming bus.

"Inuyasha, what the hell are you doing on the road? Go up!"

"Don't want to be seen in the air." He made another sharp turn and Kagome had to bite her lip to ensure she didn't shriek in Inuyasha's ears. "The belladonna… there's something in the scent of it that was familiar. Then I remembered that inuyoukai last summer. The one that got away… he was an inuyoukai with fucking _poison_ abilities. Bastard's toying with me!"

Kagome frowned. "You think he purposely led you to your father's grave?"

"What else would it be?" Inuyasha retorted.

They landed on the roof of the danchi and Inuyasha swung Kagome around, shifting his hold so that he held her across his chest with one arm around her waist before he jumped off and swung onto the eighth floor landing. He made sure that she was steady on her feet before storming towards the apartment they left. This all happened in the span of a heartbeat so Kagome was still catching her breath when she was about to yell at Inuyasha as he threw the door open. Her rebuke died in her throat, however, as she realized that the space was vacant.

All of the furniture was cleaned out. It was nothing but walls and built in counters and drawers. No one could have guessed that it was inhabited a year ago, nor mere hours ago.

Kagome wandered in, staring at the barren space. "What the fuck?" she breathed.

Inuyasha arched a brow at her. "Nicely put," Inuyasha grunted. He was rummaging through all of the cabinets and drawers. "Fuck! I got played."

"Why go through all of this trouble? What was so important about coming back here and going to the grave? I mean, even if coming to Adachi was a lure, how could he have known about us going to Setagaya?"

"He didn't… That family— the woman was planted here. She was listening."

"But she was a human," Kagome said to herself in disbelief.

"Keh! Could've been a coke whore that was paid to play blue collar suburban wife for two hours at most." Inuyasha turned and swiped at an open cabinet door, tearing it off and sending it flying across the apartment. "Damn it! I was so fucking _stupid_!"

Kagome couldn't fight the sinking feeling in her stomach. "Inuyasha, I think we need to go home. I don't have a good feeling."

Inuyasha's eyes cut to hers. "Why?" He had learned by now to trust Kagome's uncanny instinct for knowing when shit was about to hit the fan.

"This is more than just that incident last summer. He had someone follow Ayame— scare her. Knew how to manipulate the situation. He knew her relationship to you, where your childhood home was. Knows enough about how you think to know it would lead you here. Whoever this youkai is… he knows everything about you. Knows how to hurt you."

"Only way that can happen is by getting to _you_ and you're not leaving my side."

Kagome shook her head sadly. "Then how else do you get to me if you can't get at me physically?"

Inuyasha's blood ran cold. Instantly, faces flashed before him. Souta, Kagome's grandfather, Izayoi, Sango, Miroku, Chiyo, Kouga, Ginta, Hakkaku… people he hadn't met from the five years he was abroad, the list went on and on. If his weakness was Kagome, then any move made against her was meant for him. And Kagome wore her heart on her sleeve.

He wrapped her up in his arms, feeling her grip him tightly. "No one else is getting hurt," he swore.

"Dad…" Kagome's voice broke. "They got him."

Inuyasha held her even closer. "And that's my fault. I'm so sorry," he hissed. "But they're not going to hurt you anymore."

"They almost got Souta and they weren't even _trying_! It was just because he was being stupid and pissed them off. Who _knows_ what might have happened if they _knew_ he was my little brother?"

"I kept him safe, didn't I?"

Kagome pulled back, tears trailing down her cheeks. "I almost lost _you_! Inuyasha, whoever this person is, he knows your whole life! Who's to say he doesn't know about the new moon?"

"What the fuck do you expect me to do? Hide? Run away?" At Kagome's reluctance to answer, Inuyasha began to pace before pointing a finger at her. " _Fuck that, Kagome!_ " he roared. "There's no way in hell I'm letting that son of a bitch—"

"I know," Kagome cut in. "It's what I said before. Loyal and brave to a fault, and _infuriatingly stubborn_ even if it will kill you..." Her voice trailed off at the strange gleam in Inuyasha's eye. "What? What are you thinking?"

Inuyasha could hear the frustration in her voice. His mind had been jumping all over the place the entire day and Kagome was working hard to keep up with him and losing her patience.

"I have an idea. It's…" Inuyasha scoffed harshly. "It's fucking insane. But—"

"But you have a good feeling about it?" Kagome nodded encouragingly. "Can you at least slow down enough for us to talk it through? I trust your instincts more than anyone else's, Inuyasha, but for my sanity, can we at least _try_ to have some sort of a plan?"

"First, I need to speak to someone."

" _We_ need to speak with someone," Kagome retorted, weakly punching his upper arm.

Inuyasha ducked his head and huffed but glanced over his shoulder at her meaningfully. Kagome instantly clambered up onto his back again and Inuyasha left behind his childhood home without a second glance, his heart pounding in tandem with the rhythm of his feet.

* * *

Kagome stepped out of her bathroom and distractedly ran the towel through her damp hair, frowning in deep thought of the events earlier that week. She jerked out of her trance when the soft cloth was tugged out of her grip and began to gently move through the dark strands, claws scraping lightly against her scalp in a light massage.

"Inuyasha—"

"Ayame's staying with a co-worker tonight and Souta's at the shrine," Inuyasha said simply.

He continued to carry on with the tender movement, but Kagome held his wrist to still him and turned around, pushing away his arms. Inuyasha kept his gaze away and continued, "I just got off the phone with Mizuki. The plainclothes officers patrolling near the shrine say everything's quiet, just like it has been the past few days, so your grandfather and brother are safe. Miroku and Sango assured me that they'll be fine and are still refusing a guard, but I figure since they're only a couple of floors away, I'll be able to sniff out any trouble."

Daring to meet Kagome's gaze, Inuyasha was wary of the impassive expression on Kagome's usually emotive face. Instead she led him to the edge of the bed and sat him down. The towel slipped from his fingers with a whisper of a rustle.

Inuyasha gulped. "Mom's place is also under surveillance. Kouga's refused any for his place… but he can take care of himself."

"Inuyasha, shut up."

Inuyasha shut his mouth, clenching his jaw. He knew that after that fateful day's events, Kagome would be angry with him. So he threw himself into setting everything up for their friends' safety and had been avoiding her. He shut his eyes and hung his head to await her barrage that he knew she had been holding in for the past several days.

_All of their friends and loved ones arranged themselves around Kagome's living room, peering at Inuyasha expectantly._

" _Look, I have a lot to say tonight. It's a long story, but it needs to be heard. Kagome and I think we might have found out the source of all of our trouble the last year and a half."_

_Kouga huffed from where he leaned in the corner, his arms crossed defensively over his chest. He sneered, "I already know who to blame that on, thanks."_

_Kagome frowned but Inuyasha threw her a look that had her force back her instinctive apology. Inuyasha gave Kouga a cutting glance and said coldly, "I invited you here for your benefit, but if you're going to be a dick while we're trying to help you, you might as well go out the fucking door because I've already dealt with a lot of unnecessary bullshit today."_

_Kouga's eyes measured Inuyasha before sliding to Kagome's eyes that pleaded with him to listen. He rolled his eyes and moved closer to where everyone else was seated, leaning against the armchair where Ayame sat, conveniently the farthest piece of furniture from the couple._

_Inuyasha continued to glower at Kouga so Kagome started, "Ayame stayed with me last night because she was concerned about being followed and attacked. When Inuyasha stepped in to help, the trail led us back to Adachi where they grew up."_

_The group sat attentively throughout Kagome's entire tale about her and Inuyasha's day and the mystery behind who was orchestrating everything and more importantly, why. Miroku had just voiced this question when Inuyasha sadly turned to his mother._

" _Mom?"_

_Izayoi's violet eyes widened in confusion. She blinked before asking, "What can I do to help?"_

" _A DNA sample."_

" _Of course," she readily agreed. "But I'm afraid I don't understand."_

" _It's like Kagome said. By hurting her, you're hurting me. I'm the real target in all of this. The breadcrumb trail back to the danchi in Adachi… to…" Inuyasha gulped uncomfortably. "To the visit to… Dad's grave in Setagaya. The belladonna flower. Whoever's doing this is motivated by more than their annoyance with how Kouga and I fucked up their syndicate's drug rings in Tokyo."_

_Kouga snorted. "Still a big motivator, though."_

" _But what if this person blamed me for ruining their whole life? Destroying their family? Simply by merit of being alive?" Inuyasha's eyes glowed with ferocity. "I didn't realize until I called the bastard a 'son of a bitch'…"_

_Izayoi's face dawned with comprehension. "You can't be serious. That child would have had the world at his or her feet with Toga as its father and all of the wealth afforded upon his death. Why turn to a life as a crime lord?"_

" _As a way to get back at the parent who devoted his life to living on the right side of the law," Ayame supplied numbly. "Believe me, I know all about being everything your parent_ wasn't _."_

" _Ayame's right." Miroku furrowed his brow in thought. "To this child, the only way to get back at Toga for destroying the family and his happiness would be to be everything Toga_ wasn't _. Toga was a renowned lawyer, a pillar of the community. The child would undermine the law."_

_Sango nodded. "And with Inuyasha's return to Tokyo and as a member of the Criminal Investigation Bureau—"_

" _And royally fucking up his syndicate and power in the Tokyo underworld…" Kouga added._

_Miroku shrugged. "He snapped." He winced when Sango elbowed him. "Or she," he amended._

_Kouga scoffed. "That's a fucking reach. The majority of the people in this room have issues with their parents or lack of them. You don't see any of us committing murder!"_

_Ayame turned to Kouga, a hard, blazing look in her jade eyes. "It's different when it feels like they_ chose _to leave you," she hissed._

_Kouga gulped and inclined his head at her. "Sorry, Yorozoku-san," he mumbled._

_Kagome stepped forward and took Izayoi's hands as they shook in the older woman's lap. "It's a lot to take in. Believe me, I know. But that's why Inuyasha needs your help."_

" _Mom, a DNA sample from you can highlight the differences in my DNA from the sample I got last summer. It can definitively prove that it wasn't me and that the other DNA sample is from a completely different person, not just a contaminated sample of mine." Inuyasha sighed. "And I know that this is a long shot, but I need you to try and remember anything you can about my sibling."_

_Izayoi shook her head. "Of course I'll give you my DNA sample," she huffed, almost indignantly. As if she wouldn't help her son clear his name. "But I've never met the child. I always respected the mother's wishes to keep him sheltered."_

" _Not even a picture in Toga's wallet?" Kouga asked. "Something that slipped through?"_

_Izayoi sent an uncharacteristic glare at Kouga. "No," she said firmly._

_Kagome asked, "What about the funeral? He had to be at his father's funeral."_

" _But I wasn't allowed to attend," Izayoi retorted, pain evident in her voice._

_Inuyasha's energy and body language became edgy as he sensed the distress his mother was in but Kagome held a hand up at him to calm him down. Her voice took on a softer, soothing tone._

" _I know you didn't,_ couldn't _, live with that. Izayoi, this man was the love of your life. The father of your child. You wouldn't stay away. I've been giving Inuyasha's father credit for Inuyasha's tenacity, but how could you not have any hand in it as well? You're one of the strongest women I know because you held onto your love for Toga, against all odds, for years. That sort of love and devotion doesn't die with him."_

_Izayoi closed her eyes, tears managing to slip out and cascade down her face. She nodded with a shuddering breath. "I went to the funeral. They barred me from getting close enough… but I didn't leave. I watched from afar, hidden among the trees like a disgraced mistress," she said bitterly. Her voice softened when she opened her eyes and met Inuyasha's. "We loved each other."_

" _I know," Inuyasha agreed._

" _She could still smell me, I know it. But she couldn't lose face in front of everyone by having a fit. But I was so focused on the casket…"_

" _It's okay. Take your time. Breathe."_

_Inuyasha watched as his mother slowed her breathing, her eyes still closed. Kagome's honey eyes were lit with intensity and a shred of hope as she kept her focus on Izayoi, her hands still clasping the older woman's._

_Miroku said in a quiet voice, "It's been said that we can access details in memories that we usually ignore if we just focus and block out everything else."_

" _Now's not the time—" Inuyasha growled._

" _Inuyasha," Izayoi said calmly. That was enough for Inuyasha to settle down and grit his teeth._

" _I'm seeing them lower Toga into the ground," Izayoi breathed._

" _Look away," Kagome urged. "Look into the crowd. You know what his ex-wife looked like, don't you?"_

_After a few moments, Izayoi nodded, "She's in the front row of seats closest to the grave."_

" _Next to her, who's sitting next to her?"_

_A long moment passed until Izayoi gasped and opened her eyes with a stunned expression. "I see him."_

_Kouga stood. "I'll take her to the station to meet with a sketch artist. Then the cyber unit can digitally age him."_

" _Get Shippo on it. He's the only one I trust."_

_Kouga nodded and waited as Izayoi gathered her coat._

" _Him," Inuyasha said numbly. "So I have an older brother. That poison inuyoukai doesn't work for him. He_ is _him." He didn't acknowledge when Kagome watched him worriedly._

" _Yorozoku-san, I can also give you a ride home on the way," Kouga offered._

" _She'll be staying here," Kagome cut in. "If her home is already under surveillance… I think it's better she stay here. Together."_

_Ayame reached out and grabbed Kouga's arm. "I appreciate it, though," she said softly. "And you can call me Ayame."_

_Kouga blinked and his expression softened before nodding in agreement, testing her name out._

" _Same goes for you two." Kagome looked at her brother and grandfather._

_Souta held up his hands. "Won't hear any complaints from me."_

" _Jii-chan?"_

_Katsumi slowly shook his head. "I am a holy man and my place is with my shrine. I'll be fine."_

_Kagome frowned and looked as if she were about to argue, but Inuyasha stepped in front of her. "I'll take you home, old man."_

" _Inuyasha!"_

_Without turning to look at her, Inuyasha said, "He wants to be home, Kagome." He heard her indignant huff of breath and could practically feel the waves of anger and hurt coming off of her. Before she could say anything, Inuyasha picked up Katsumi and nodded at Kouga._

" _Come on, douchebag. Need to talk to you about the old man's protective detail before you take my mom to the station," Inuyasha grumbled before he hurried out of the apartment, Katsumi in his hold._

_Kouga arched an eyebrow and warily glanced at Kagome as she seethed in disbelief before speeding after him._

"Why do you look like the puppy who got caught peeing on the carpet?"

Slowly, Inuyasha lifted his gaze from the floor. Kagome was crouched in front of him, one hand on his knee, the other clutching her towel to her body. He hadn't registered that the small scrap of fabric was all she wore when he re-entered her bedroom. But after the initial skim, his eyes were fixed on hers. Inuyasha relaxed upon seeing the warmth and concern in the depths of her eyes. He ventured moving his hands from his lap, sliding them up her bare arms and down to her sides, barely noticing how she shivered under his touch.

"I'm messing everything up," he muttered.

"The only way you could mess anything up is if you continue to make a mess in my room. This place is my sanctuary and I won't stand for it," she joked. Kagome pulled away and reached down to pick up the towel he had dropped onto her floor and disappeared into the bathroom.

Inuyasha followed after her soundlessly, drawn to the comfort of her voice and the teasing scent of honey and peonies wafting up from her damp skin. Hanging up the other towel, Kagome squeaked when Inuyasha pressed himself against her back, his arms wrapping around her stomach and his face flush against her shoulder.

"You're not mad at me?"

Kagome sighed. "I was. I talked to Sango after you and the others left. You're right. I can't protect everyone, especially if they don't want my help. It just… for that moment, it felt like I didn't have you on my side." She leaned back so that her head rested on his chest.

"Kouga and I made sure that the best guys were stationed at the shrine. Nothing's going to happen to your grandfather."

"I know… I should have known that."

"This week has been a shitshow," Inuyasha acknowledged.

"And us avoiding each other doesn't help. I should be more considerate of how _you're_ taking everything." Kagome's fingers gripped his arms as they settled around her waist and lightly traced patterns on his skin.

Inuyasha snorted and Kagome shivered at the puff of warm air against the back of her neck. "You mean it's not normal to find out that your big brother is out to kill you and everyone you love?"

Kagome turned and gave him a teasing smile. "Aw Inuyasha, you care that much about the others?"

"Keh! I love _you_ and _you_ care that much," he grumbled before leaning down and nuzzling her nose and lips lightly.

"So… you and Kouga?" Kagome asked.

Inuyasha scowled. "Not back to normal… but he said that your safety is our first priority."

"It's been a rough few months for us all. And it's not going to get easier."

"The two of us aren't going to kill each other anytime soon." Inuyasha rolled his eyes as Kagome gave him a pleased smile. "But… you're really not mad?"

"Does _this_ seem like something I'd do if I was mad?" Kagome asked with a small smile.

With a happy sigh, Kagome closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck while Inuyasha's hands slid down to grip her hips. When their lips met again, there was nothing gentle or teasing about it. Desperate to feel, desperate to reconnect with each other. Inuyasha wanted to lose himself in her and Kagome wanted to be the one that sheltered Inuyasha when he lowered his guard. Pain prickled at raw wounds and almost caused Inuyasha to get lost in its swell, but Kagome brought him back with her touch. Once more, she proved to be his tether.

Kagome leaned heavily against him and Inuyasha tightened his hold on her hips to lift her up so that she could wrap her legs around his waist. He broke away to hiss from the close contact of her heated skin.

Cupping his face, Kagome panted, "Inuyasha?"

"Are you sure?" he asked tightly.

Removing one of her hands from his face, Kagome reached in between them and undid the loose knot that kept her towel secure around her. It was kept in place, trapped between their bodies.

"I love you. The rest is up to you."

Kagome watched Inuyasha's face carefully, noted the tension in his jaw, the love and lust warring in his eyes. She dipped her head and kissed him. Warm, soft, she parted her lips and nipped at his. Gentle touches and quiet arousal, she slowly coaxed him. Kagome smirked against his mouth when she heard his quiet groan and spread her fingers against his back, her calves pushing on Inuyasha's hips.

Inuyasha's eyes darkened and he rumbled in appreciation of how demanding Kagome became. His eyes slid from the back of her thighs to firmly cup her butt, surprising Kagome. She pulled her lips away and began peppering kisses on the underside of his jaw while she slowly tugged at the hem of his shirt.

"I thought the rest was up to me," Inuyasha breathed.

Kagome hummed as she got the shirt off and began kissing his chest. She peered up at him through her eyelashes. "If I wait on you to make a decision, we'll never get on with it," she joked, her laughter breathless.

Inuyasha growled at her and responded by pressing her against the bathroom wall, holding her up so that she was slightly higher than him, and mouthed at her neck. Kagome's eyes fluttered closed and she sighed. The sudden movement had caused the loose towel to finally dislodge and fall away. Inuyasha didn't waste time in angling his head down and making his way from the hollow of her throat to the valley between her breasts. Smirking up at her, Inuyasha's lips traveled to her left breast.

Her eyes were locked with his, her body tense with anticipation. Once Inuyasha finally closed his mouth against the tip of her peak, Kagome groaned and arched her back, pressing her chest closer to him.

Inuyasha grazed his fangs over the sensitive skin, causing Kagome to keen softly. He could feel her tremble beneath his touch and he lingered on her breast, licking and tasting for the first time in years.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome cooed, her head falling back against the wall.

Without missing a beat, Inuyasha lifted his mouth for a moment. "Yes?" he asked, before performing the same treatment on her other breast.

Kagome sighed and one of her hands slipped from around his neck to glide down his chest. She could feel his muscles twitch underneath her fingers and she pulled at his chin roughly so that they were face to face again. She kissed him and pushed up against him, her urgency palpable. Inuyasha gasped as she ground her hips against him, tightening his grip on her hips and bringing them even closer together.

Chuckling, Inuyasha nipped at her neck, murmuring, "Eager?"

At the velvety sound of his low voice, Kagome melted and whimpered his name. The sound of her need had Inuyasha's blood rushing in his ears. One hand fisted at the nape of his neck, fingers twisting into his thick hair. The other traveled downwards again, pulling at the hem of his jeans. Kagome growled in frustration as she fumbled with the button before she sighed in satisfaction once she heard the fast _zip_ when she got his fly open. Inuyasha pulled away and laughed once more when he felt Kagome brace herself against the wall and use her feet to push his pants down.

Kagome's eyes darted down and noted how eager Inuyasha was with raised eyebrows. At Inuyasha's smug expression, she disentangled herself and strode past him, back into her bedroom, making sure to graze her fingers across his chest as she did so. Smiling to herself, Kagome climbed onto the edge of her bed before turning over her shoulder and offering a sultry smile. In a flash, Inuyasha tackled her to the bed and Kagome laughed as she caught her breath before running her hands through his thick silver mane.

As she shifted to get comfortable underneath him, although Inuyasha was careful to keep his weight off of her, Kagome raised an eyebrow at him she shifted more purposely against him and Inuyasha groaned, burying his head in the crook of her neck.

"You trying to kill me?" he hissed.

"Consider it your punishment for not being on my side," Kagome replied absentmindedly, her attention focused on the way Inuyasha's hand slipped lower from her ribs to her hips.

Inuyasha scoffed before lowering his mouth to a breast again. " _This_ is your punishment?" he drawled.

Kagome rubbed his ears slowly while arching up to his mouth. "Shut up," she gasped.

Grinning, Inuyasha skated his hand across her hipbone and lower, eliciting another gasp from Kagome as his fingers stroked her. He sobered slightly and released her breast in order for Kagome to open her eyes and frown at him in confusion.

"Do you want this?"

With a soft smile, Kagome let her legs fall open completely and leaned up to kiss him tenderly. One calf lifted into the air and stroked against his hip.

"I want _you_."

Her words caused something deep inside Inuyasha to surface. A fierce need to protect her— that had always been there— but it had intensified and coupled with an equally fierce need to make her his. More than any other time they had been together so intimately in their youth. They were adults now, they knew the implications of their actions.

Inuyasha growled and kissed her roughly, his mouth working against hers feverishly. Kagome moaned, the sound caught in her throat as she felt him nudge against her thigh. She bucked her hips up before her other leg lifted to wrap around his hips. She tugged on him and pulled him closer, her head falling against her pillows as Inuyasha's hand pressed deeper.

Her scent was intoxicating. It surrounded him and Inuyasha's mind was hazy with arousal. He touched their foreheads together and nuzzled her face, coaxing Kagome back from her bliss. Their eyes met, half-lidded and full of heat.

"I love you," he said raspily.

"I love you."

Inuyasha's hips flexed against hers and Kagome spread her arms as far across his back as she could, feeling the tension within him ripple as he eased into her. She peppered kisses down the column of his throat, lingering and sucking at the pulse point on his neck until she completely cradled him. Kagome opened her eyes to find him breathing heavily, his eyes closed tightly.

" _Fuck_ ," he gasped. "Forgot how fucking amazing you feel."

Kagome moaned and clenched around him and Inuyasha's mouth parted as he lost his breath, allowing Kagome to kiss him hungrily as she shifted hers hips, allowing him in deeper. Kagome felt full and whole and incredibly connected to him. She rolled her hips again and Inuyasha was spurred to slowly pull back before thrusting back sharply. The connection became all encompassing. One of Inuyasha's hands reached up to pull one of hers away and interlaced their fingers. They moved together, shifting, rocking against each other in a sensual rhythm.

Every defense Inuyasha had ever constructed, Kagome tore them down with the brush of her fingers and the sound of her soft sighs. Her vulnerability gave him the strength to allow himself to be at her mercy.

"Inuyasha," Kagome breathed, over and over again, spurring him on. He smirked at Kagome's expression— swollen lips parted in ecstasy, her brow furrowed as if in deep concentration as she moved against him, desperate for completion.

He increased his tempo, the gentle rolls turning into harder thrusts. Kagome cried out and her chest lifted into the air as her back bowed. Inuyasha slipped his other arms underneath her and pressed himself closer to her, the feeling of their bare chests touching causing him to growl in satisfaction.

"Inuyasha, please."

"Come on, Kagome," Inuyasha rumbled. He nipped at her neck, sure to leave a mark. He made his thrusts shallower. Kagome whined and dug her heels against his lower back. "Tell me what you want, Kagome," he urged.

"You. Please, I want all of you. Everything."

Her words caused his heart to rise to his throat and Inuyasha began pumping into her again, relishing the soft warmth that cocooned him.

"You're beautiful," he murmured against her ear while he nipped at it. "I'm an asshole for not telling you more often."

Kagome laughed breathlessly, "Damn right. You always say I'm fishing for compliments." Her laughter dissolved into another moan of his name as he intensified his pace again.

The heat that had been pooling low in Kagome's abdomen ignited and it was as if a coil snapped with in her. Her body trembled with an intense pleasure and she cried out and gripped Inuyasha's hand tightly as her other one brought his head down to hers so she could kiss him. Inuyasha groaned lowly at the feeling of her tighten and pulse around him and thrusted harder. He released her hand to free his and brought it between their hips, mumbling her name through their kisses.

His touch so soon after her peak had Kagome trembling again in another climax. This time, Inuyasha went with her and his movements became disjointed before he stilled, groaning as she milked him before breaking away from Kagome to collapse against her. Inuyasha rolled them so that Kagome was sprawled on top of him, breathing heavily.

Kagome had her eyes closed as she pillowed her head on his chest.

Inuyasha peered down at her, his fingers idly tracing patterns on her back.

"Kagome?"

Kagome hummed back in response noncommittally. Inuyasha grinned. "So I'm forgiven?"

She opened an eye at him. "Not sure yet. Try again later." Her hidden smile widened as his laughter shook her.

"Idiot," he murmured affectionately.

Lightly kissing his chest, Kagome burrowed into his side comfortably. Inuyasha stroked her raven locks and curled her in more tightly before closing his eyes, the youkai within him sated by the scent of them together and her warmth. After he was sure Kagome was settled and asleep, Inuyasha gave himself over to her comforting embrace.


	41. Chapter 41

_Last Time…_

_Kagome had her eyes closed as she pillowed her head on his chest._

_Inuyasha peered down at her, his fingers idly tracing patterns on her back._

_"Kagome?"_

_Kagome hummed back in response noncommittally. Inuyasha grinned. "So I'm forgiven?"_

_She opened an eye at him. "Not sure yet. Try again later." Her hidden smile widened as his laughter shook her._

_"Idiot," he murmured affectionately._

_Lightly kissing his chest, Kagome burrowed into his side comfortably. Inuyasha stroked her raven locks and curled her in more tightly before closing his eyes, the youkai within him sated by the scent of them together and her warmth. After he was sure Kagome was settled and asleep, Inuyasha gave himself over to her comforting embrace._

* * *

Once she felt herself waking up, Kagome immediately concentrated on keeping her eyes closed and her breathing even. She was so amazingly comfortable and relaxed that she didn't want to disturb the moment. In what she hoped was a natural motion to do in her sleep, she readjusted the way her head was pillowed on his chest and buried herself more closely into Inuyasha's side. Belatedly, she registered the fingers that had been softly combing through her hair and fought the urge to sigh in contentment.

Lips pressed against the crown of her head and Kagome tried not to react.

"I know you're awake," Inuyasha whispered, his voice low. Kagome couldn't help but shudder slightly at the velvety sound.

She opened one eye and peered up at him, a brazen smile curving her lips. "Do something about it then," she teased.

Inuyasha groaned and kissed her lightly. "Don't tempt me."

Kagome looped her arms around his neck and kept him close. "I'm tempting," she mumbled against his lips.

With a smirk, Inuyasha allowed Kagome to deepen the kiss and took the opportunity to let his hands roam. They had just skimmed down the sides of her ribs to grip her waist when a shrill ringing sound erupted from Kagome's nightstand.

Kagome immediately turned towards the sound and reached out an arm, but Inuyasha tightened his hold on her and pulled her back, his lips capturing hers again.

"Ignore it," he grumbled.

Kagome laughed breathlessly and made to reach out for the phone again. "I can't," she giggled.

Her world was shrouded in darkness and Kagome realized that Inuyasha had thrown the covers over the both of them, busying himself with continuing his trail of kisses down the column of her neck. Kagome just decided to give up and began massaging the base of Inuyasha's ears, earning a pleased rumble from the hanyou.

"See?" he murmured, his mouth now slowly nipping its way up a breast. "They stopped."

Fighting to keep the scowl on her face, Kagome scrambled to remove the covers, half in an effort to reach her phone, but mostly to relieve the fire that Inuyasha's touch caused on her skin. She froze and fell back against the bed.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome meant for it to be a reprimand, but Inuyasha's tongue began to lap at the swell of her breast, turning her voice into an almost plea.

Inuyasha further made his point by taking Kagome's nipple into his mouth, resulting in her fingers tightening on his scalp. He could hear the air rattle in her lungs from how sharp her gasp was. He stopped suckling, preferring to tease her with wet kisses as he met her heated gaze.

As it was morning, Kagome's curtains couldn't stop the bright sunlight filtering in through the fabric and she could make out the golden glow of his eyes as he took tender care in adoring her body. Kagome hummed again in pleasure, her voice turning into a low moan as she felt Inuyasha's fangs graze her lower abdomen.

Her scent engulfed him and Inuyasha was enjoying the feeling of her squirming impatiently underneath him. He traveled back up, his body intentionally brushing against hers, to kiss her hungrily.

Breaking away to catch her breath, Kagome accused, "Tease." She pushed at his shoulders, indicating that she liked where he was heading before.

Inuyasha grinned. But before he could reply, another shrill sound rang throughout Kagome's bedroom as Inuyasha's phone rang this time. He tried to cup Kagome's face and distract her with another kiss. "Ignore it," he told her again.

"It has to be important, Inuyasha." Kagome's voice was more insistent than last time and had lost that dreamy quality Inuyasha loved to bring out. He groaned and settled his weight on top of her carefully so as not to be too heavy, his face buried in the crook of her neck.

Reaching out blindly, Inuyasha grabbed his phone and glared at it before answering and putting it on speaker. Kagome indulged him with a slightly apologetic smile and lifted her head to kiss the top of his head, her breath slightly tickling the sensitive hairs near the base of his ears. Preferring to focus on the way she massaged them instead of his rising temper, Inuyasha lightly kissed her neck.

"What?" he demanded.

"Bad time?" Miroku's voice came through the speaker and Inuyasha could hear the slight cheek in his tone that let him know that Miroku knew _exactly_ how inconvenient his timing was.

Kagome felt Inuyasha's body tense and whispered, "I'm going to go shower while you deal with him."

Inuyasha pouted but lifted himself up so that Kagome could scoot out from underneath him. She added conspiratorially, "If you make it quick, you might be able to join me."

Arching an eyebrow at her, Inuyasha watched her walk into the bathroom, his eyes honed in on the purposeful swish of her hips as she walked away.

"You better have a fucking good reason for calling," Inuyasha growled once the door closed, burying his face in Kagome's pillow to hold on to her scent.

"Hey, _you_ were the one who told me to be ready to go to the station with you this morning. Sango's in bed alone while I've been waiting for you in my kitchen for the past half hour. Believe me, I'd much rather spend my Saturday morning in bed with Sango."

Inuyasha sat up and gripped the phone tightly, his lip curling at the device. "Didn't need to know that."

Miroku chuckled over the line. " _I_ didn't need to know that you and Kagome are about to have some fun in the shower."

Even though he was alone in the room, Inuyasha stared at his phone in silence while his cheeks turned red.

Miroku's laughter grew at Inuyasha's lack of response. "You don't need to be a hanyou to have heard her. You forgot to mute the call. I'm guessing the two of you are done avoiding each other and she accepted your _passionate_ apology."

"I'll see you in twenty minutes," Inuyasha said gruffly.

"Twenty minutes? That's it?" Miroku was absolutely roaring with laughter now.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Shut the hell up before I make Sango an early widow!" He tossed the phone so that it got lost in the tangle of sheets on Kagome's bed before he leapt to his feet to join Kagome in the bathroom.

His keen hearing still heard Miroku's cheerful goodbye, "I'd ask you to say 'Good morning' to Kagome for me, but something tells me that she's already having one." He paused and added slyly, "Or about to have a _very_ good one if you play your cards right."

Rolling his eyes with a snort, Inuyasha didn't pay Miroku any mind, his thoughts immediately filled with Kagome.

* * *

Inuyasha stared at the screen with a hard look in his eye, his arms crossed over his chest. "So?" he asked. "Is this good enough?"

Masahiro narrowed his eyes at the results on the screen. "Is it?" He redirected the question at Miroku.

Miroku shared a look with Shippo and nodded. "Essentially, there are sixteen genetic markers that are known to be highly differential between individuals. Each marker is comprised of an inherited allele from each parent. With Izayoi's DNA sample, we are able to isolate which ones of the markers in Inuyasha's DNA belonged to Toga and compared them to the sample of the inuyoukai."

"My half-brother," Inuyasha said.

Miroku nodded slowly. "When comparing your paternal alleles to the sample… the paternity index from your DNA and his prove that the sample you got from the warehouse raid belongs to someone closely related to you."

Inuyasha snapped, "My half-brother."

"Ease up, Inuyasha," Kouga muttered.

"I'm not going to fucking 'ease up' if Miroku's pussyfooting around. Does this prove it or not?"

"It's…" Miroku sighed. "If we had a sample of DNA from your father's first wife, we could determine exactly which genes came from your father and increase the conclusiveness."

"But as it stands…?" Masahiro prodded.

"Youkai, due to the heightened abilities, have additional genetic markers that we can compare. We found the same markers in both Inuyasha's sample and the one found at the warehouse, leading to a high probability that Inuyasha and the suspect share the same biological father."

"How high?"

"I'd say no less than ninety-seven percent. Even without the DNA of the other woman, the youkai markers are extremely specific."

Masahiro turned and clapped Inuyasha's shoulder heartily. "You, my friend, are clear."

Inuyasha removed himself from Masahiro's hand. "Cool it with the 'friend' shit. You're my lawyer."

Miroku raised his eyebrows at the exchange. "You're not usually the shining example of what a people person is, Inuyasha, but you're in rare form today."

Kouga snorted. "It's because he's jealous of Masahiro's friendship with Kagome."

Masahiro chuckled uncomfortably, stepping away from both Inuyasha and Kouga. "Kagome and I never dated," he assured Inuyasha. He eyed Kouga. "And you—"

Kouga's face darkened. "Still a sore subject. Move on."

Masahiro nodded and crouched down next to Shippo, telling the tech exactly what he needed to present in front of the judge to completely exonerate Inuyasha of any implications in the involvement of Sadao's murder and overall relation to the inuyoukai crime syndicate. Inuyasha glanced at Kouga from the corner of his eye warily. Miroku watched the exchange and sighed.

"I'd say the two of you just need one good swing at each other, but you've already done that, so the next best thing is to talk about it and quit smothering the rest of us with your awkwardness."

Inuyasha glared at Miroku while Kouga growled, "It's not that fucking easy."

"Then get over it."

Both men shot Miroku identical looks of incredulousness. He shrugged in reply. "What's done is done. Inuyasha, you need to swallow your damn pride and apologize. And Kouga, you signed the papers. You agreed to let her go. Are you really holding on to Kagome or the idea of her? The both of you made shitty decisions that you have to deal with. "

Kouga stormed off while Inuyasha glared at Miroku. "You're a real bastard. And that's saying something coming from me. Just because you listen in on Kagome and Sango's conversations doesn't mean you get to spread it around and throw it in his face."

"Do you want your friend back or not? Kouga needs to deal with the reality of the situation and move on. It's not fair to him."

"It wasn't even about that. I—I'm not wasting my time thinking about that anymore. It's all of the _other_ bullshit I'm finding out."

Miroku offered a sympathetic frown and countered, "It's not a waste of time to Kouga and I'd bet money that it still occupies a lot of his time and thoughts... I know you're going through a lot, but I think Kouga's earned a little bit of a right to be an asshole, too."

Inuyasha stared at Miroku with an unreadable expression, his jaw muscles visibly twitching. After a long moment where only the hum of the computers filled the space, Inuyasha asked quietly, "Got everything, Masahiro?"

Blinking and shuffling nervously at having attention directed at him, Masahiro covered it well and a mask of composure came over the esteemed attorney. "You're clear, Inuyasha. This proves it. And it gives us enough to put a warrant of arrest for your brother and finally put a face to the crime syndicate that's been tearing Tokyo apart."

Inuyasha muttered, "At what price?" He sighed heavily and scrubbed at his face. "Okay. Thanks for everything, guys. Go and enjoy the rest of your weekend."

"I'll see you tonight," Miroku reminded him.

"What the hell for?" Inuyasha's ears began to twitch in agitation.

Miroku rolled his eyes. "You and Kagome are coming with Sango and me to try out the restaurant we're thinking of using to cater."

Inuyasha remembered the curt text that Kagome had sent him a few days prior when they were avoiding each other in their anger. He made a face and complained, "I don't see why _I_ need to go. You and the girls have got it all figured it out."

"I was hoping to have my best man be a part of some of the planning. I figured you'd be more into food than choosing fabrics to go with the color scheme."

Inuyasha's ears stilled and he stared at Miroku. "Best man?"

Miroku grinned. "Did I forget to mention that?"

"Bastard," Inuyasha half-heartedly replied. In an unusual display of affection, he reached out and briefly clasped one of Miroku's hands, reaching around with his other arm to give Miroku a brief hug and clap on the back, albeit one harder than necessary. "I'll see you tonight," Inuyasha said gruffly, his voice strangely thick.

Miroku's eyes widened momentarily at the sound before nodding happily. "Thanks, Inuyasha."

"Are we done here?" Inuyasha asked obnoxiously, pointedly ignoring Miroku.

Shippo nodded and turned in his seat. "Sent everything over to Masahiro's office in an encrypted file. He's the only one who can open it up, so it's safe."

"That means you need to keep quiet, too. You're sitting on some big news."

"Won't get anything out of me."

"Better not," Inuyasha warned sternly. His fierce tone was betrayed slightly by the light in his eyes. "I owe you, Shippo."

Shippo smirked. "I'll hold you to that."

Inuyasha stared at the hall where Kouga stormed off and turned back to nod at Masahiro. "You let me know if you need anything else."

"Without a doubt."

An eyebrow quirked up as Inuyasha added, "Just clue me in when you plan to have lunch with Kagome again."

Masahiro chuckled, "What, you're gonna bug her or something?"

For a moment, Inuyaha's eyes darted quickly to Shippo and back. The young kitsune grinned mischievously. Masahiro's face fell, but then he laughed it off.

"You know, when I first met Kagome, I never thought I could meet someone who could match her, if that makes any sense. She's a lot to handle, in the best way, of course. But if there was anyone who could outdo Kagome in terms of her stubbornness, you definitely give her a run for her money."

With a smirk, Inuyasha brushed him off, "Keh! I leave her in the dust." His face became serious after a moment. "Thank you again, Masahiro. I'm glad Kagome convinced me to let you help."

A wry smile slowly coming to life on his face, Masahiro replied, "See? She's got you wrapped around her finger."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and nodded at Miroku. "Tonight?"

"I'm sure Kagome will give you the details."

Without another word, Inuyasha strode purposefully out of the cyber unit and followed Kouga's scent to the facility's gym. Kouga was hunched over, his dress shirt tossed haphazardly to the side, leaving him in his undershirt. The sweat on his tan skin gave him a slight sheen. He let out rhythmic puffs of breath as he moved quickly, his arms punching the bag in a series of complicated combinations that had the heavy bag swinging slightly— an impressive feat since the equipment was designed for youkai strength.

"Surprised you didn't tape a picture of my face onto the bag," Inuyasha called out.

Kouga let out a puff more forcefully than before, still going through his combinations without glancing at Inuyasha. "Figured I shouldn't rip the bag off of its chain."

Inuyasha sighed. "Come on, Kouga, I thought we were at least cool about it now. What the fuck is the matter now?"

Kouga gave a hard jab and the bag swung upwards, nearly parallel to the floor. He stalked towards Inuyasha before the bag could swing back and hit him, the chain it was attached to groaning from its effort.

"You wanna know what my fucking problem is? It's _you_!" Kouga snarled, an icy fire in his blue eyes. He shoved at Inuyasha's chest, but Inuyasha stood his ground, gritting his teeth. "Everything would've been better if you had just _stayed_ in America and kept your goddamn nose out of where it fucking belonged!" Kouga let out another growl and stomped away, his fists pressed at his sides.

Inuyasha pursed his lips but nodded. "You've been holding this in for months. Come on, asshole, let it out."

Whirling around and getting closer to Inuyasha, Kouga shoved a finger in his face. "Don't fucking act like I'm a fucking child," he hissed. "Like I'm having some kind of temper tantrum. Come on, Inuyasha, don't you see how you ruined everything?"

"I already know I did."

"Don't be so fucking calm, you smug bastard" Kouga sneered. "My marriage would still be intact. Maybe if you didn't show up in Tokyo, your bastard brother wouldn't have started a gang war throughout Tokyo! Maybe if you just _stayed away_ , Sadao would still be alive and you wouldn't have caused Kagome so much pain!"

Inuyasha fought to keep himself calm, but he was losing his control over his temper with every accusation Kouga was hurling at him. He watched, his golden eyes guarded, as Kouga's chest heaved and eventually, the wolf youkai calmed down.

"Why?" Kouga asked quietly, almost brokenly.

"I love her," Inuyasha said lowly. "I _never_ planned on ruining anything. I just wanted to see her again, see if she was happy. There was no plan for me to be so entwined in her new life."

Kouga laughed humorlessly, the cold sound making Inuyasha frown. "Welcomed you with open arms, didn't I?"

"You're right."

Kouga's head snapped up to meet Inuyasha's eyes. Inuyasha grit his teeth and swallowed roughly, trying to swallow his temper. "You're right," he repeated. "My coming back to Tokyo changed everything. But I _swear_ to you, I never planned for any of this to happen. Regardless of whether we would get back together, I would never plan for her to get hurt. You know that."

Maintaining a stony silence, Kouga continued to stare at Inuyasha.

"Knowing what I knew now? That to have Kagome back, she'd have to go through so much heartache?" Inuyasha furrowed his brow. "If I had the chance to go back and do it over again, I don't know if I could. If I could make sure she stayed safe and happy, I'd never have come back," he said earnestly. "But hindsight's always 20/20 and I don't have that fucking luxury."

Running a hand through his hair in exasperation, Inuyasha huffed, "And you're one of my best friends, Kouga. Were… I guess. You stood by the poor hanyou bastard who was new in school and I can't—" Inuyasha pursed his lips, struggling to explain himself. "It was a hard time for me and you didn't make it harder for me. And then, I had a partner like you watching my back and reminding me not to be a reckless dumbass. I owe you. I know I do."

Kouga looked off to the side, glaring at nothing in particular. "Look, I'm sorry, man. I don't know what set me off." He dug the heels of his hands into his eyes and rubbed roughly. "Honestly, I've been working on myself to get over it. I— logically, I _know_ everything you're telling me, but— it's just—"

Inuyasha frowned. "Kouga, have you been drinking?"

Pulling his hands away from his face, Kouga looked at Inuyasha. "No," he said quietly. "I've been a complete teetotaler since the divorce."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to say something, but frowned.

"Save it, Inuyasha. I already know that your attempt at motivation will suck."

Throwing him a dirty look, Inuyasha sighed. "Have you really spoken to Kagome at all in the past six months?"

"She tries…"

"I know." Inuyasha tried to keep the frustration out of his tone, but he could still hear threads of it in his voice. "It's Kagome."

Kouga snorted. "I haven't exactly been the most receptive. What's the point? You two are happy. I can see that she's happy with you. I told you that's all I wanted."

"Doesn't mean the two of us don't feel like shit. When are you going to get it through your damn head that we care about you?"

Kouga rolled his eyes. "Inuyasha, I never knew," he drawled sarcastically.

"Speaking more on Kagome's behalf than my own," Inuyasha retorted.

The air between the two seemed to settle and was less volatile than previously. Inuyasha held out his hand expectantly.

"Come on, Kouga."

Eyeing Inuyasha's hand warily, Kouga told him, "Shit's not going back to normal anytime soon."

"I know."

"But… you're right." Kouga watched as Inuyasha's lips twitched and he knew that the hanyou was holding back a smart aleck comment. "You're my partner. And now that you're clear… I'd be glad to have you watching my back again."

With another sigh, Kouga took Inuyasha's hand and the two came close to clap each other on the backs gingerly in a semi-hug.

"I've got to head out, but I'll see you Monday, alright?" Inuyasha said gruffly.

"Whatever, muttface. Enjoy your last weekend before heading back to active duty. We have some things to talk about, stuff I've been working on in my own time."

A brow quirked up on Inuyasha's face. "Yeah?"

"Save it for Monday."

"Meaning, you'll e-mail it to me by tonight."

Kouga chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Fucking hate working with you."

"Care to at least clue me in?"

His expression sobering, Kouga leaned in and murmured, his eyes darting around the gym even though either of them could have sniffed out if anyone was hiding or listening in, "I think I know who's working with your brother in the department."

"Well don't fucking chew it to death. Who is it?" Inuyasha demanded.

"Let me find out a little more, solidify everything before I start talking to internal affairs."

Inuyasha grit his teeth, obviously unhappy with Kouga's reluctance to divulge the information. He nodded. "E-mail me tonight with what you've got. I'll look it over before coming back to work. Give you a fresh pair of eyes."

"Sounds good." Kouga nodded at him and turned to pick up his shirt and make his way out of the gym, towards the locker room.

Half watching him walk away and half concentrated on his own thoughts, Inuyasha jerked at the sudden vibration and shrill tones coming from his pocket. He pulled out his phone and saw that Kagome had sent him a text message.

' _Is everything alright? Miroku got home about ten minutes ago and said that you left before him.'_

Inuyasha could discern the underlying concern and her efforts to remain calm and patient. If he were being honest with himself, he had a bad feeling about what was to come, but for tonight, for Kagome, he'd hold on to a sense of normalcy with her for as long as he could.


	42. Chapter 42

_Last Time…_

_Half watching him walk away and half concentrated on his own thoughts, Inuyasha jerked at the sudden vibration and shrill tones coming from his pocket. He pulled out his phone and saw that Kagome had sent him a text message._

'Is everything alright? Miroku got home about ten minutes ago and said that you left before him.'

_Inuyasha could discern the underlying concern and her efforts to remain calm and patient. If he were being honest with himself, he had a bad feeling about what was to come, but for tonight, for Kagome, he'd hold on to a sense of normalcy with her for as long as he could._

* * *

Miroku and Inuyasha watched their significant others marvel and chatter excitedly at the dresses in the store display. After dinner, they had all agreed to stroll through the fashion district nearby, Kagome and Sango eager to consider choices for the bridal party's dresses.

"You've been awfully compliant tonight," Miroku commented.

His eyes never leaving Kagome, Inuyasha said coolly, "Would you like me to start acting like an asshole?"

Chuckling to himself, Miroku shook his head. "Just making an observation. But something's up. You've been mildly distracted all night. What happened after you took off? Where'd you go?"

"What's with the interrogation?" Inuyasha muttered under his breath. "Didn't go far. Went to find Kouga and get everything out in the open. Even though I thought we already _did_."

"Well that certainly explains the surly look on your face. How'd it go?" Miroku watched Inuyasha from out of the corner of his eye to gauge his friend's facial expression carefully.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and sighed. "Yelled at each other. Called each other a bunch of stupid names."

"So back to business as usual?"

Smirking, Inuyasha allowed, "Getting there. Feels like it's been that way for a while."

"Slow progress is better than no progress," Miroku pointed out.

The two men briefly turned towards Sango and Kagome as they became more animated in their discussion, their smiles growing wider. Inuyasha murmured lowly, "Just some stuff about how my brother's syndicate always seems to be a step ahead of us. Nothing concrete, but I'm waiting on Kouga to send me what he's been working on."

"Ah, _that's_ why you've been glued to your phone all night. And here I thought it was just bad manners." Miroku flinched slightly as Inuyasha lifted a hand, only to give Inuyasha a glare when Inuyasha raised his other arm up belatedly and faked a stretch. His voice petulant, he huffed, "Between you and Sango, it's a wonder I haven't ended up with a concussion yet."

"Your skull's too thick to let that happen," Sango said smoothly, her and Kagome coming back to join them. "Should be the topic of your next submission to the medical journals. You're a real medical marvel."

Miroku's grin turned sly and he raised his eyebrows at his fiancée. "Is that the only thing about me you find marvelous?"

Kagome shook her head and laughed good-naturedly while Sango gave Miroku a dirty look. Her laughter faltered slightly as her eyes drifted over to Inuyasha. She frowned for a moment, but then reached out to grab Sango's arm and pull her towards another shop display. Inuyasha growled when Miroku elbowed him in the ribs sharply.

"What the hell was that for?"

"Kagome obviously thinks something's wrong. Or worse, she thinks you're upset with her. Do something. You're half-demon, not a half-wit."

Inuyasha huffed at him, but otherwise said nothing. He and Miroku slowly trailed after the girls again in silence. When Kagome chanced another quick glance over her shoulder at him, turning away before Inuyasha could look at her closely, he acted.

"Miroku, give us fifteen minutes," he said, his tone curt and leaving no room for argument.

A dark brow arched and Miroku gripped Inuyasha's shoulder briefly, squeezing it reassuringly before moving towards Sango, Inuyasha at his heels. Miroku was able to step in between Sango and Kagome, wrapping his arm around Sango's waist.

"Aren't we close to that new dessert place you read about online? I'm craving something sweet right about now." He leaned in closely to her, raising his eyebrows suggestively. "Unless you have another suggestion."

Sango blinked, her chocolate eyes staring at Miroku in a mixture of bewilderment and suspicion. "Yeah… It's just a few blocks away."

Kagome felt the warmth of Inuyasha's body at her back so she knew he was less than a hair's breadth away from her. Immediately, she caught on and gave Sango a small smile. "I remember you telling me about it. We'll catch up with you guys in a second."

"I'll sniff you guys out," Inuyasha added softly, but his eyes were trained on Kagome.

Sango hesitated, but felt Miroku lightly tugging her away. "We'll save you seats!" she called over her shoulder, knowing full well that it would fall on deaf ears.

Miroku pressed his lips to her temple, whispering, "They're fine. Don't worry."

Sango looked back to him, her brows knit together in worry, but nodded and allowed Miroku to tuck her into his side.

Once they had walked around the corner, Kagome turned and found herself staring directly into Inuyasha's broad chest, close enough that she could pick up the fresh scent of laundry detergent from the shirt he was wearing. She made to step back, but Inuyasha wrapped a hand around her wrist, softening the abrupt motion by sliding his other hand down her side until his fingers intertwined with hers.

"What's going on?" he asked quietly.

Kagome shrugged, not quite meeting his eyes. "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"

Inuyasha's face fell and when Kagome momentarily looked up, she caught the splash of hurt in his eyes. She closed her eyes and sighed. "I… I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm being so defensive."

"We're not nineteen anymore, Kagome. Can't we be adults and talk about it?"

Kagome smiled in spite of herself. "That's rich, coming from _you_." Her comment prodded a smile from Inuyasha and emboldened her. "You… you're not regretting anything, are you?"

"Regretting anything?" Inuyasha echoed in confusion.

"About last night and… this morning? I don't know— you've been weird all evening and Miroku said that there was good news when you two went down to the station so I don't know what else it could be and—"

Inuyasha's free hand came up and he gently pressed the pad of his thumb against her lips, silencing her. "Kagome, I could _never_ regret showing you how much you mean to me. That's what happened between us last night." His cheeks turned pink. "Every single time we've been together… I don't take it lightly."

Kagome's face scrunched up, her cheeks also flushing. "Then I don't understand why you've been so distracted and cagey."

He ran a hand through her hair, stroking the silky locks comfortingly. "I was trying to _not_ look distracted."

"It's a good thing you're not an actor then," Kagome huffed.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Miroku's right. We found definitive proof that it was my brother and not me who's been at the root of everything. But then after, Kouga and I got into it a little bit."

"What do you mean, the two of you got into it?" Kagome's eyes roved over Inuyasha speculatively. "You didn't get into a fight, did you?"

"Almost," Inuyasha admitted. "Kouga still figured out how to hit me where it hurts, though," he said absently, his mind drifting back to Kouga's accusations.

"What did he say?" Kagome tightened her grip on his hand reflexively and Inuyasha couldn't help but smirk at the way her eyes lit up with a protective ferocity. The feeling of being the object of her possessiveness settled quite nicely in his chest.

"Nothing that matters," he said softly, his free hand continuing to comb through her hair, lightly scraping across her scalp tenderly in an effort to placate her.

Narrowing her eyes at him anyway, Kagome placed her other hand onto his chest, sliding it over to where his heart lay beneath. Staring at her hand for a long moment, she lifted her eyes at him again, peering up through her eyelashes. "This is mine just as much as it is yours. Anyone hurts this, they hurt me..." Her hand flexed and pressed against his chest harder. "Together," she reminded him.

Inuyasha gently guided her head towards him so that he could press his lips to her forehead. Kagome tilted her head back and caught his lips in a brief kiss. Inuyasha sighed when they broke apart.

"Partners and equals."

Kagome's lips quirked upwards. "Don't forget it," she mock scolded. The hand on his chest lifted momentarily before coming back with a hard jab from her index finger. Her bravado faded and she asked quietly, "So everything with _us_ … it's— we're okay?"

Inuyasha nudged Kagome lightly, bowing his head to nuzzle her neck lightly. "I've never been happier," he confessed. He smiled to himself when he heard the stutter in Kagome's heartbeat, relishing the moments he was able to pleasantly surprise her.

When they began walking again, Kagome eventually agreed, "I haven't felt this… _secure_ and content in a while…"

"Keh! I told you I'm the happiest I've been because of you, and you say you're _content_?"

Kagome laughed and bumped him with her hip. "Let me finish!"

"I _always_ make sure you finish."

Staring at him, her honey eyes wide, Kagome couldn't hold back her laughter. Through her laughter, she accused, "I start sleeping with you again and now that's all you think about." Once her laughter faded, she began, "I was thinking…"

"That can't be good," Inuyasha drawled.

"Hey!" Kagome betrayed her annoyance with her large grin, enjoying his playfulness especially after the strain they'd had in the past week alone, never mind the past year. Inuyasha's nonchalance and smugness alleviated the serious tone of their conversation and she was grateful for it.

Inuyasha made a show of rolling his eyes and sighing in exasperation, but his ears were restless, twitching in anticipation. "Alright, what were you thinking?"

"When was the last time you spent the night in your apartment?"

Frowning, Inuyasha answered, "Just… I was there… I guess a couple nights before the night Ayame called you. I mean, the only reason I went home that night was to let you get work done. That's really the only reason I ever leave your place." He avoided Kagome's eyes sheepishly. "And… even though you were mad at me the past few days, I still spent the night. Just crashed on the couch and slipped out before you went to work."

"I know," Kagome quipped.

"You know?" Inuyasha echoed, raising his eyebrows. He rushed to explain, "I know that I shouldn't have been using your spare key without your permission but with everything we found out and knowing you're a potential target, I couldn't risk anything happening—"

"I'm not mad, Inuyasha."

Kagome shrugged and said quietly, "Sometimes I'd curl up next to you and make sure to go back to my room before you woke up. I knew you'd be exhausted throwing yourself into trying to fix everything and wouldn't even notice. It's rare that I can get past you, but I guess you've really been through the wringer this week." She could see he still felt anxious and reassured him, "Inuyasha, it's okay. I knew why you did it and I'm happy that you care that much. "

Sagging with relief, Inuyasha asked, "So why were you asking?"

It was Kagome's turn to become anxious. She caught her lower lip between her teeth and her brow furrowed in deep thought. Inuyasha stroked his thumb across the back of her hand and squeezed it once. Kagome squeezed back and spoke slowly, "Well…You spend most of your time at my place. I have your favorite cereal in my pantry… I even have a whole cabinet of ramen dedicated to you." She laughed, the sound somewhat shaky from her nerves. "Your laundry goes in with mine. You don't like to stay at your place because it makes you nervous to not know if I'm safe and to be honest, I feel the same way for you whenever you walk out the door."

Inuyasha stepped in front of Kagome and stopped their movement. He narrowed his eyes in puzzlement. "Am I taking over? Do you need me to give you space?"

"No."

"No?"

Kagome grinned and shook her head. "No." Inuyasha continued to give her that dumbfounded stare, not catching the social cues she thought were obvious. She blinked quickly and looked down at her feet. "Wouldn't it be easier maybe if you just brought your stuff over to my place? I know having Ayame and sometimes Souta in the apartment right now can be a lot and you enjoy your space—"

"Yeah, you're right."

Kagome looked up at him and blinked. Silence filled the space between them while she gaped at him, her expression stricken. "Oh." She gulped and returned her gaze to her feet. "Right."

Inuyasha could smell the saltwater and placed a finger under her chin to tilt her face up at him. "Oi, why are you crying?"

Sniffing, Kagome batted his hand away. "I'm not crying!" she insisted.

"Sure as hell doesn't look like it to me! What's got you so upset?"

Glaring at him, anger flashing in her eyes, Kagome hissed, "Are you really asking me that?"

"I think I just did!"

"Baka, of course I'm upset— you just turned down my offer of moving in together!" Kagome huffed and stomped away, swiping at her face angrily to wipe away her tears, but not before Inuyasha just managed to catch the undercurrent of hurt and rejection in her eyes.

Inuyasha remained rooted to the spot in shock and confusion. He whirled around to rush after her and lunged to grab her hand. He tugged and pulled hard so that she fell into his chest. Immediately, Kagome beat on his chest with fists.

"Kagome, I didn't say no—"

"Yes, you did!"

"Idiot, I said 'Yeah, you're right'!"

"You said 'Yeah' to liking your own space and being too crowded in my apartment!" Kagome took a deep breath. "I get it, Inuyasha, I just need to be on my own for a few minutes, okay? I'm not mad at you for being honest, but I just need to gather myself—"

Inuyasha leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together, staring directly into her eyes. " _That's_ because you talk too much, Kagome. I was saying 'Yeah' to your offer but then you started rambling on, like you _always_ do." Inuyasha closed his eyes and sighed. "I agree. It makes more sense for me to move in since I spend all of my time at your place anyway. My apartment is just a monthly financial sinkhole."

Kagome widened her eyes. "Are you sure?" She slowly began to smile, but it vanished just as quickly. "I want to make sure that you're doing this because _you_ want to, not because you think you _should_ or that I _need_ this from you, because I don't."

An eyebrow arched. "You don't?"

"I don't," Kagome confirmed. "But I'd like it."

Smirking, Inuyasha agreed. "Me, too. And I _do_ want it."

"But are you sure? We've been together for, what? Four, maybe five months?"

Inuyasha huffed. "First, you're upset because you think I don't want to move in with you and now you're trying to convince me not to!"

Kagome pursed her lips. "I just don't want you to have any regrets. Asking you just made it all so real and I don't want to make another mistake."

"I only have one regret with you, Kagome, and it was over six years ago and I hope that I've made up for it. We're older and you're wiser so I think we know how to take care of our relationship. But the same goes for you, are you sure you're ready for this?"

"I like having you around," Kagome replied. "I want you in my home. I want you to want me in your home."

"You _are_ my home, idiot." Inuyasha brushed his lips against her forehead softly. Kagome nodded and pressed herself closer to his chest, pressing her cheek against his warmth.

Inuyasha grinned. "All or nothing, huh?"

Kagome looked up, her answering smile radiant. "I've learned that with us, if it's not all or nothing, it's not worth it."

* * *

"Are you sure about this?"

"Believe me, man, I've tried every possible angle, but I can't get any other conclusion. And I just can't figure out _why_."

Kagome frowned and took another sip from her wine glass, staring at the files spread all over her coffee table. Inuyasha sat on the floor in front of her, each hand clutching a bunch of papers, but he leaned against the couch, his ears strategically placed so that Kagome could easily reach down and rub them periodically.

Kouga sat on the floor across from Inuyasha, yawning as he held his head in his hands. "Who knows if we'll ever find out?"

Inuyasha turned and looked up at Kagome. "What do you think?"

Raising her eyebrows, Kagome asked, her voice slightly shrill, "Me?"

Tilting his head at her, Inuyasha nodded. "You don't have a longstanding professional relationship with her clouding your judgment. You're the most objective one here."

"Souta's in his room, I could grab him."

"Most objective with the highest level of deductive reasoning," Inuyasha clarified.

Kagome chewed on her lip nervously. "I don't want to. What if I'm wrong and we ruin her career?"

"I'm not asking you to charge her, Kagome. I'm just asking for your opinion, off the record."

Looking at him dubiously, Kagome retorted, "Then my opinion shouldn't matter, should it?"

Inuyasha made a face and snapped, "Humor me, would you?"

Kagome sighed and handed him her wine glass in exchange for the papers in his hands. "This is why I went into corporate law," she muttered. "Much easier to deal with when one party blatantly reneged on their end of a deal. Trying to figure out why a respected inspector would risk everything for a crime lord." Kagome's eyes scanned the files and reports, continuing, "Must have something on her that's worth it. No record of any possible intersection points."

"As far as we know," Kouga grumbled.

Kagome continued to mutter under her breath as she read and Kouga stared at her. Inuyasha shrugged. "She's thinking out loud. Doesn't realize when she does it, but it happens all of the time. Pain in the ass when she brings work home, but I've learned how to block it out as white noise… most of the time."

Kouga frowned. "Never noticed."

"She's in love with him."

Inuyasha and Kouga whipped their heads towards her incredulously. Kagome remained calm and she carried on perusing Kouga's collection of evidence.

"You're joking."

Kagome lifted her head to peer at Kouga. "Not at all." She lowered the papers and shrugged. "At first glance, her story seems like anyone else's, until you look at the finer details. If you want my opinion, she knew him from before and he decided to have her join the force because he realized she could make it and would be a valuable asset."

"What makes you say that?" Inuyasha asked, out of curiosity rather than as a challenge."

"She didn't transfer in until a few weeks after Inuyasha, right?"

"Around the time your father was first attacked. Maybe a month, two months after I moved back." Inuyasha shared a look with Kouga. "About the right amount of time for the paperwork for a transfer to be reviewed and approved."

Kouga interjected, "But all of her cases were clean busts."

"She never worked the inuyoukai syndicate. The two of you were so attached to it, everyone knew to hand over anything even remotely related over to you. As for the other cases, she was getting rid of his competition. Why wouldn't she play it by the book? This was a cheaper, easier way to make sure her lover didn't have any trouble." Kagome shifted and her hand automatically drifted to play with Inuyasha's hair. One of his hands immediately wrapped around one of her ankles and slowly massaged her calf.

Knitting her brow together, Kagome continued, "She's smart, tough, and adaptable. She's perfect. I can't comment as to whether her affection is reciprocated, but he's not an idiot and he's going to take care of her… wait a minute…"

"What?" Inuyasha turned and shifted her legs so that he could sit on the couch next to her, peering over the clipping in her hand. "It's a scholarship that she won to go to Hibiya High School…"

"Not that, _that_." Kagome pointed at the corner of the grainy image. In the background, there was a familiar shock of long silver hair on the impassive face of a teenage inuyoukai. Inuyasha snatched the paper out of her hands and stared at the photo, his gaze unwavering.

Kagome frowned and said quietly, "His name…" She dragged a finger underneath the photo's caption.

_Sesshomaru Takado, son of the late Toga Takado, represented his father's firm in presenting the firm's Imperial Knowledge Award— a scholarship offered to a student demonstrating both significant need and academic ability. This year, the Imperial Knowledge Award was given to Rin Mizuki, a student from Sumida, who announced she would use the prize to attend the prestigious Hibiya High School this upcoming year._

"There it is," Inuyasha grumbled. "There's the connection."

Kouga sniffed, "She was alone, young, and he had just given her the key to a chance at a better life. No wonder she'd lay her life on the line for him."

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked timidly.

Inuyasha grit his teeth, every interaction he'd shared with Inspector Mizuki racing through his memory, anger rising at how she'd made a fool at of him, had probably steered him wrong, or sent him right into the lion's den. He remembered the look of sympathy when she had found out Sadao had died. All of it. Fake.

"We end this."


	43. Chapter 43

_Last Time…_

Sesshomaru Takado, son of the late Toga Takado, represented his father's firm in presenting the firm's Imperial Knowledge Award— a scholarship offered to a student demonstrating both significant need and academic ability. This year, the Imperial Knowledge Award was given to Rin Mizuki, a student from Sumida, who announced she would use the prize to attend the prestigious Hibiya High School this upcoming year.

" _There it is," Inuyasha grumbled. "There's the connection."_

_Kouga sniffed, "She was alone, young, and he had just given her the key to a chance at a better life. No wonder she'd lay her life on the line for him."_

" _Inuyasha?" Kagome asked timidly._

_Inuyasha grit his teeth, every interaction he'd shared with Inspector Mizuki racing through his memory, anger rising at how she'd made a fool at of him, had probably steered him wrong, or sent him right into the lion's den. He remembered the look of sympathy when she had found out Sadao had died. All of it. Fake._

" _We end this."_

* * *

"Are you okay?"

Kagome's quiet voice eventually broke through the thick silence of their bedroom. Both of them had pretended to go to bed when they both knew the other was just lying there, staring into the darkness. A quiet rustle signaled Kagome's intentions to Inuyasha and he immediately shifted, one arm moving from where it lay stiffly next to him, opening up his side for Kagome to lean against. She placed a hand on his chest, her head pillowed on his bicep.

"Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha gulped and kept his eyes on the ceiling, remaining silent. However, he curled his outstretched arm over Kagome's back, pulling her in closer. Kagome knew that he was upset— the understatement of the century. But she also knew that as much as she wanted him to talk, he would open up on his own timetable.

She yawned, settling for a sleepy, "I love you," closing her eyes, and finally allowing herself to drift to sleep.

Once her breathing had evened out and Inuyasha was sure that Kagome was truly asleep, he turned his head and peered down at her, the image bringing a soft smile onto his face, despite his dark mood. Her inky hair was a mess, scattered all over his arm and her face. He gently gathered the strands and pulled them away, revealing her peaceful expression. Inuyasha couldn't recall the last time he had seen her look so worry-free while awake. He brought his hand up to squeeze the one she placed on his chest and sighed heavily.

After finding out the truth about his half-brother and Rin, Inuyasha and Kouga worked quietly and relentlessly to gather evidence and proof. Enough to at least ensure that Rin would immediately be investigated and unable to continue to be an inside source for Sesshomaru. They had done it so cautiously and thoroughly, being careful not to tip her off to the fact that they were onto her.

Two months later, nearly primed to take everything to their superior officer, and they arrived at the precinct with a notice that Inspector Mizuki had suddenly handed in her resignation without notice. She didn't even come back to clean out her desk. Kouga and Inuyasha were sorely tempted to go through it themselves, but the superintendent was adamant on waiting to make sure that she wouldn't come back to do it since it was her personal effects mixed in with the official reports and files that technically belonged to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Force. As far as Inuyasha could sniff out, she hadn't been near her desk since before the weekend, nor had anyone else for that matter. Meaning it was ripe to be searched.

Of course, that also meant that there was a possibility that Rin was most likely certain that they would find nothing incriminating.

There was also the possibility that she had been killed by Sesshomaru or someone in his payroll for any perceived failure or incompetence… But he had no way of knowing. Things had been quiet from the inuyoukai syndicate once summer came.

In any case, Inuyasha was at an impasse. He needed to know what she had, especially on her computer. That needed to go to Shippo as soon as possible. Whether her resignation was of her own volition or a decision made by Sesshomaru, it was a move that only signified one thing— endgame. And it was going to be coming soon.

More than anything, it was apprehension about _what_ exactly could be coming that kept him up. He sighed again and carefully rolled Kagome off of his chest, making sure she wasn't disturbed as he got up from the bed. She mumbled something under her breath but remained asleep and he let his fingers lightly hover above her face for a moment before leaving the room. He immediately strode to the living room and nearly had his nose pressed against the glass wall, staring out into the city.

Lost in his thoughts, Inuyasha didn't realize that hours passed by. The lock on the door rattled slightly and there was a _click_ as it disengaged before Ayame walked in, still in uniform. She raised an eyebrow at him and dropped her bag onto the kitchen counter before grabbing two beers from the refrigerator.

"Trouble sleeping?" she asked, handing him a bottle. "Or early morning?" she added wryly.

"No shit," Inuyasha muttered, taking a long pull. "How was work?" he asked.

Ayame grinned ruefully. "Like you care," she teased. "Same old, same old. People get hurt. I try to help them. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "You always been so cryptic?"

"It's been a trying few months."

"Tell me about it."

Ayame's face fell. "Bad news?"

"No more than what I'm used to."

With a snort, Ayame grumbled, "Now who's being cryptic?"

Inuyasha glanced at Ayame from the corner of his eye before turning his gaze back out to the cityscape. "Ayame… if anything happens and I'm not around, just promise me that you can keep Kagome safe."

"What are you talking about?" she demanded.

Shaking his head, Inuyasha said calmly, "Something's going to go down. Something _big_. I don't want Kagome getting caught up in it or to become a target because she's with me." His fists clenched. "I'm going to protect her with everything I have, but if it comes down to it—"

"Shut up."

Inuyasha's eyes snapped to Ayame's— her jade eyes narrowed in anger and accusation. "Shut the hell up, Inuyasha. You're not leaving her. Not _again_. I've been honest with you for the better part of twenty years and I'm sure as hell not going to stop now. Whatever idea you have brewing in your mind, squash it. _Now_."

"I don't have any idea," Inuyasha said bitterly. "But if—"

"No! No 'buts'! Stop lying! Nothing wrong is going to happen. Kagome will be fine. Because _you're_ going to make sure nothing happens to her." Ayame huffed and turned away from him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Baka, you can't go into it thinking you're going to lose."

After a moment, she added quietly, "Of course I'd help keep her safe."

The hard look on Inuyasha's face softened and he murmured his thanks before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "We know you're awake, Kagome," he called out.

Kagome strode out from the hall, not bothering to look ashamed. "It's hard not to be with the two of you arguing," she retorted weakly.

"Keh! I wasn't the one yelling, it was _this_ banshee." Inuyasha jabbed a thumb in Ayame's direction.

Ayame shot him a glare before smiling sheepishly at Kagome, a blush on her cheeks. "Sorry, Kagome."

Kagome offered a sleepy smile. "It's fine." She reached out and grasped Ayame's wrist meaningfully, placing her other hand on top of Ayame's. "Thank you," she mouthed.

Raising her eyebrows, Ayame was shell-shocked before smiling back and bidding them good night. Kagome released her arm and watched Ayame retreat to her room before she walked up to Inuyasha, crossing her arms meaningfully.

"Well?"

Inuyasha huffed and kept his eyes forward.

"Inuyasha."

"Might have had a few dumb ideas," he grumbled.

There was a slight crease in the corner of Kagome's eyes— the only discernible effect of her disappointment.

"Like?" she asked calmly.

Shrugging, Inuyasha said, "Doesn't matter."

The look on Kagome's face informed him exactly what she thought _did_ matter. He relented, "Maybe Ayame, Miroku and Sango… all of you should move. Get out of Tokyo until this blows over. Keep yourselves away from the blast radius."

"Move? Just up and leave?" Kagome echoed, her voice nearing a shrill pitch. "We have careers, Inuyasha. Miroku and Sango are going to be married in less than a year! My grandfather won't even move into the apartment, never mind leaving the damn city."

"Sango's company has a base in Osaka. She's down there every other weekend anyway. Miroku and Ayame can find another hospital in no time—"

Kagome rounded on him, "Where did you hear me ask for you to explain your point? Inuyasha, there's no way we're going to leave. At least, I'm not. I know you're worried, but can you deny that I'm safest with you?"

Inuyasha considered her, his eyes still slightly downturned. "But…"

"No 'buts'. Inuyasha, every time you walk out the door, I have to _fight_ to keep the image of you lying in some alley, your blood—" Kagome's voice hiccupped as she stifled a sob. "You don't need to do anything more than you already are. Because you're doing everything you _can_."

"It's not enough!" Inuyasha snarled, finally meeting Kagome's eyes, his own blazing. "What good am I if I can't keep the people I love safe?"

"Inuyasha, we wouldn't have even made it this far if it weren't for you. I know you're doing your best. And I'm your weakness and I'm dragging you down— no, listen— but I think we're stronger together." Kagome wrung her hands together nervously and insisted, "Even though I can't protect you and I tend to get into more trouble than I'm worth… I have to believe that we still bring out the best in each other. Because without you… I don't know what good I am."

Inuyasha's expression softened. "I believe that we were meant to be in each other's lives. That you were born for my sake, and I for you."

Kagome's lips parted in a light gasp and she felt her eyes begin to water. Inuyasha continued, "Look, I'm sick of the two of us having a pity party. Let's just go back to bed."

"But what are we going to do?"

"Like I said, I have a few ideas."

A scowl marred Kagome's features. "Your, as you put it, 'dumb ideas'?"

"In light of a few revelations, I think I've figured out a way to make them work in a way that isn't dumb."

Kagome scoffed. "I'll be the judge of that."

Inuyasha leaned down and wrapped his arms around Kagome's waist, lifting her up and hoisting her up over his shoulder. "Well you can judge it in bed."

Lifting her head to stare up at the back of Inuyasha's head, Kagome snapped, "Is getting into bed all you can think of?"

Purposefully, slapping Kagome's butt, earning an indignant squeal from her, Inuyasha grinned. "It's all part of my plan."

* * *

Kagome's jaw dropped. "You're joking," she deadpanned.

Sango laughed nervously and kept her eyes on her glass of water, a bright blush staining her cheeks. "No… no, I'm not. This would be a really bad joke."

Kagome blinked and leaned back in her seat, numbly acknowledging the waiter when he put her entrée down in front of her. She pushed away her food and leaned in towards Sango. "Really?" she asked in a sotto voice.

"Am I really the type of person to joke about something like this, Kagome?" Sango snapped, her voice low. She groaned and held her face in her hands. "Oh, I can't believe it," she groaned.

With a sympathetic smile, Kagome asked, "Are you sure?"

"I'm over a week late… That never happens."

"You've been under a lot of stress. That new contract you've been working on, the wedding, everything happening with Inuyasha's demented brother. It happens sometimes."

"I bought a pregnancy test," Sango said grimly.

Kagome laughed at Sango's expression, but immediately smothered it upon seeing the murderous look on her best friend's face. "And?"

"It came out positive!" Sango groaned again. "Kagome, the wedding is still eight months away! If there's a chance that this pregnancy test is right—"

"Sango, calm down. Sometimes pregnancy tests can be wrong. There's a chance that it can be a false positive, too. Have you gone to the doctor?"

"I made an appointment for the end of the week. I'm just… there's a lot of anxiety that I've been experiencing."

"I'm sure," Kagome nodded. "When's the appointment? Do you want me to go with you?"

Sango smiled and nodded. "If you don't mind."

"You must be pregnant, then. Pregnancy mind is making you forget that I'd do anything for you." Kagome playfully rolled her eyes as she finally began eating her meal. "Better finish your food. Eating for two."

Narrowing her chocolate eyes at Kagome, Sango picked up a bread roll and threw it across the table, only increasing Kagome's laughter.

"Such un-motherly behavior!"

Sango eventually surrendered and joined Kagome in her laughter. "You're right. I'm not sure, so why bother wasting my energy worrying?"

"Yeah, but just in case, I'm going to keep _this_ out of your reach." Kagome picked up her glass of wine and took a sip of the blush-colored liquid. "You know, I'm torn between being an aunt and having my rosé buddy." She arched a brow. "Did you tell Miroku?"

Sango shook her head. "Why worry him?" She smiled to herself. "Actually, he'd probably be _ecstatic_. Dork," she muttered affectionately. "What about you two?"

Kagome coughed as her food got caught in her throat. Eyes watering, she reached for her glass to wash it down. "Excuse me?" she squeaked. "Are you trying to tell me that I look like I'm gaining weight?"

"Want you to look good in your maid of honor gown." Sango grinned from behind her glass of water as she took a sip. "Unless Inuyasha makes you a matron of honor by then."

The pink color on Kagome's cheeks traveled down her neck and spread to her ears. "We— no, that—" she laughed nervously, "No, I'm not planning on getting pregnant anytime soon."

"Neither was I," Sango pointed out. "Shit happens."

Kagome pointed her chopsticks at Sango. "You still don't know if you are." She shrugged and focused on her food again. "And Inuyasha and I have been together for barely six months."

"I think everyone would be unanimous in saying that we can't picture the two of you dating anyone else."

Kagome started to reply but narrowed her eyes at Sango in mid-thought. "Was that your blessing that you just gave us?" Sango shrugged innocently. Kagome pouted and began stabbing at her food. "Okay, I get it. It's not nice when I pick on you."

"But seriously though… have the two of you discussed it?"

"Honestly… no." Kagome sighed. "He's been back for what? A little less than two years? And neither of us expected to just pick up where we left off. We agreed this is a new relationship. We're both different people than we were six years ago." Kagome furrowed her brow in thought.

Catching the shift in Kagome's expression, Sango urged her, "What?"

Kagome's lips quirked upwards. "I can't imagine being with anyone else, either," she admitted. "But I still don't know."

"Humor me. If he proposed to you tomorrow…"

Kagome thought about it. Truly tried to imagine the situation and the repercussions. But all she could think was that she'd be with Inuyasha forever, officially. And unlike her previous marriage, she could see herself binding her soul with Inuyasha's in a way she couldn't imagine before with Kouga. In the end, she stopped trying to think about it and realized how happy it made her feel.

"I'd say yes." Sango had a satisfied smirk on her face but Kagome rolled her eyes. "Don't look so smug."

Sango's smirk grew into a grin. "I really am happy for you two."

"Yeah, it's just been hard when he's been so focused and going after Sesshomaru and Rin. Her disappearance really got to him and—"

Kagome saw a bright flash of light and then saw nothing but darkness. When she opened her eyes, there was a haze of dust smothering her line of sight and a ringing that echoed in her ears. Hastily, she rubbed at her face and coughed, feeling the particles coat her throat. Her breath rattled in her lungs with her first deep breath and triggered another violent coughing fit. She lifted her head and immediately regretted it, a wave of dizziness coming over her, the piercing sound in her ears intensifying. She had to screw her eyes shut and wait until it felt like the world settled before opening them again.

She shoved away a pile of broken wood that used to be part of her chair. Crawling to her hands and knees, Kagome slowly stood, swaying as her body still recovered from the shock. Other people were in a similar predicament as her, slowly coming to and getting their bearings. She scanned the rubble desperately.

"San—" Kagome's voice croaked and dissolved into more coughs. She made hacking sounds before finally yelling out hoarsely, "Sango!"

Moving unsteadily, stumbling over broken pieces of concrete and wood, Kagome continued to call out Sango's name, tossing aside as much rubble as she could. Eventually, she found dust-covered hair peeking out and rushed to Sango's side, falling to her knees.

"Sango!"

Kagome immediately lifted the debris off of Sango and immediately panicked at the sight of blood pooling beneath Sango's hair.

"No," Kagome whispered. "No, no, no, no, no."

Her hands shook as they hovered over Sango's prone body and she honed in on Sango's midsection, dread chilling her core. Resisting the urge to pull her out, Kagome snapped her head up and screamed for help. Once she saw the flashing lights, Kagome scrambled to her feet and waved her arms frantically in the air.

"Please help us! My friend is unconscious under debris! She's bleeding from somewhere I can't see— I think it might be her head!"

Emergency responders rushed past her and Kagome turned to follow them until she was held back by another paramedic.

"Ma'am, I need you to relax and stay here while they get her on a stretcher. You have some injuries as well that I'd like to treat."

"No, but you don't understand! She might be pregnant! I have to tell them—"

The paramedic nodded stoically. "Come with me."

Kagome followed him, turning over her shoulder to look out for Sango. She sighed in relief when she saw the paramedics wheel out the stretcher with Sango on top of it. Their voices carried over amongst all of the shouting and sirens.

"Hey, where'd her friend go?"

Kagome frowned in confusion and she pulled back against the paramedic pulling her away. She called out, "I'm here— _mmpff_!"

The man had his hand secured over her mouth and his other arm bound her arms to her sides as he began dragging her away, despite Kagome digging her heels into the ground and thrashing against his hold.

"Quit struggling, bitch," he said coldly, tightening his hold on her. Whether he meant to or not, Kagome felt his claws prick her and she flinched in reaction to the sting of her skin breaking.

The realization that she was in danger caused Kagome to struggle even more and she whimpered from behind his hand as she tried to free her arms from his vice grip. Her eyes roved the scene wildly, imploring someone for help, but in all of the chaos, the area was mostly empty or people were rushing to evacuate the area and more interested in their own self-preservation.

Despite knowing that he was an inuyoukai and easily overpowered her, Kagome continued to thrash. She hooked her legs around a street pole that they passed and locked them, pulling herself towards it, trying to rip herself away from his grasp.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, bitch?" he snarled, baring his fangs at her.

Kagome bit his hand hard and he hissed and let her go, shoving her away roughly while he glared at his hand. She got the wind knocked out of her from being tossed to the ground and rolling. Kagome spit out the taste of blood in her mouth and immediately scrambled to her feet and stumbled before gaining her bearings and beginning to run. She yelped when she was sideswiped by a blow and was thrown to the ground once more, hearing a sickening cracking sound as her head connected with the ground. She gasped sharply and curled in on herself. She didn't have time to react before a hand gripped her throat and lifted her up, her toes barely scraping the sidewalk. Her eyes watered and she clawed at the hand holding her up.

The inuyoukai glared at her with hatred and revulsion, his other arm pulled back and flexing his claws menacingly. "I don't give a fuck if the boss wants you in alive, you're not worth this much bullshit," he growled.

Spots began to dance in and out of Kagome's vision and her struggling slowly died as the burn in her chest intensified. Her mouth opened in empty gasps and darkness crept into her vision.


	44. Chapter 44

_Last Time…_

_Despite knowing that he was an inuyoukai and easily overpowered her, Kagome continued to thrash. She hooked her legs around a street pole that they passed and locked them, pulling herself towards it, trying to rip herself away from his grasp._

" _What the fuck do you think you're doing, bitch?" he snarled, baring his fangs at her._

_Kagome bit his hand hard and he hissed and let her go, shoving her away roughly while he glared at his hand. She got the wind knocked out of her from being tossed to the ground and rolling. Kagome spit out the taste of blood in her mouth and immediately scrambled to her feet and stumbled before gaining her bearings and beginning to run. She yelped when she was sideswiped by a blow and was thrown to the ground once more, hearing a sickening cracking sound as her head connected with the ground. She gasped sharply and curled in on herself. She didn't have time to react before a hand gripped her throat and lifted her up, her toes barely scraping the sidewalk. Her eyes watered and she clawed at the hand holding her up._

_The inuyoukai glared at her with hatred and revulsion, his other arm pulled back and flexing his claws menacingly. "I don't give a fuck if the boss wants you in alive, you're not worth this much bullshit," he growled._

_Spots began to dance in and out of Kagome's vision and her struggling slowly died as the burn in her chest intensified. Her mouth opened in empty gasps and darkness crept into her vision._

* * *

Inuyasha struggled to temper his strength in an attempt to _not_ break his phone as he clenched it in his hand. His legs pumped quickly, his feet barely touching down as he ran and leapt into the air. Inuyasha held onto his anger in hopes of keeping his fear at bay, taking it out on everyone as soon as reports flooded every emergency responder in metro Tokyo.

"Miroku, I don't fucking know!" he growled. "You've got as much information as I do— shouldn't you be doing your damn job and saving people's lives? Aren't you getting swarmed?"

Miroku's irritation was clear over the phone. "That bomb was set off right by the restaurant where they were having lunch— Inuyasha, that's my fiancée lost in the crowd! "

"And Kagome!" Inuyasha roared. "You don't think I'm worried about them? I'm on my way right now. You focus on your job and I'll look out for the girls, okay dipshit? Call you as soon as I find them."

Inuyasha's assurances did little to alleviate Miroku's concern, but he knew that Inuyasha would be relentless until he found Sango and Kagome. "Take care."

Even though he was still several kilometers from the blast zone, the acrid stench of smoke and burnt metal filled Inuyasha's nostrils. He tried to filter out the intense scents to try and catch a trace of either Kagome or Sango's. He knew that the two wouldn't be far from each other if they could help it.

His face fell. Unless the two were helpless. The television screen in the bullpen had shown the area after the explosion and it was a huge blast. One look at it and everyone knew that there would be casualties.

Inuyasha landed at the perimeter of the barrier the first responders had erected. He flashed his badge impatiently and pushed his way through, ignoring the calls after him. He rushed to where the restaurant used to stand, his heart sinking. The structure's bare bones were all that was left. And it looked as if they were only just standing, poised to fall at any moment. Concrete rubble, twisted metal, and shards of glass everywhere. Smoldering fires scattered throughout the whole street. Several firefighters navigated the building with trepidation.

"Any civilians left inside?" Inuyasha asked, his chest tight.

One of the men looked at Inuyasha over his shoulder. He sighed and removed his mask in order to speak. "No, the building was evacuated. A number of casualties, some civilians in critical condition, everyone else had minor injuries. I recommend you get yourself a mask. Especially if you're inuyoukai. Any hydrogen cyanide will get to you quicker."

Inuyasha ripped off a piece of his shirt from the hem and soaked the fabric with water from a nearby hydrant before holding it to his nose and mouth. "Were you here when the place was cleared? I'm looking for two women in particular."

The firefighter made a face at him. "Look man, it was a swarm of people running to get the hell away from here. Hopefully the girls you're looking for weren't any of the bodies we found… There was a woman pinned under some rubble and unconscious. Her friend was screaming for help, but paramedics got her a few minutes ago. Might be able to catch the bus she's in if you're lucky. If that's not them, I don't know what else to tell you."

Pursing his lips, Inuyasha nodded and let him go back to searching the wreckage, searching for an ambulance. Even through the wet cloth, the smoke was overwhelming him, but he knew he needed to use his full sense of smell to try and find the girls. The first tentative sniff was, as expected, overpoweringly smoky, but Inuyasha was able to detect a hint of a familiar scent— violets and rosewood. _Sango_. He followed the faint trace, noting how the smell of blood strengthened with it as he got closer.

Finally, he managed to catch Kagome's scent and hurried along the trail. Inuyasha could see the ambulance that the scent trail led to but frozen when he realized that the two scents diverged. Despite his urge to follow after Kagome's, he ran towards the ambulance, towards Sango, knowing from the story that the firefighter told him that she had to be the woman found under the rubble.

He held out a hand to stop the paramedic inside from closing the doors.

"Hey, I don't know who you think you are, but we need to get to a hospital. This woman is in critical condition—"

"Inspector Takado from the Criminal Investigation Bureau. Sango's a personal acquaintance of mine. What happened?" Inuyasha demanded.

"From what we could tell, she was seated by the window when the blast occurred— received the most exposure. Her friend found her pinned underneath rubble, unresponsive. We can't say anymore until she gets scanned."

"Take her to Todai— her fiancé's a resident there and he'll want to be nearby while he deals with the other patients."

"Noted."

"Wait! Her friend, the other woman— where'd she go?"

The paramedic made an irritated noise, obviously wanting to rush to the hospital. "Last I saw her, she was heading off with an inuyoukai in uniform. Thought she would've wanted to ride with us, but I guess she got a ride with— hey!"

Inuyasha immediately bounded off in the direction of Kagome's scent, his blood rushing in his ears. "Get Sango to the hospital!" he ordered over his shoulder.

Gritting his teeth against the smell of the inuyoukai mixed with Kagome's scent, Inuyasha's vision began to bleed red as he caught whiffs of Kagome's blood. His ears stilled when a cold voice traveled over to him.

"I don't give a fuck if the boss wants you in alive. You're not worth this much bullshit."

Inuyasha saw an inuyoukai glaring at Kagome as she dangled in the air, desperately pulling at the hand wrapped around her throat, her mouth moving silently in an attempt to gasp in air. Her skin took a bluish tint and her movements eventually stilled.

Panic and anger consumed Inuyasha and before he knew it, he had surged towards them, charging into the inuyoukai, sending him flying with a swift blow to the abdomen, and catching Kagome as she fell. Inuyasha carefully adjusted his hold on her so she was cradled in his arms and gently ran his finger down the side of her face.

"You better wake up, Kagome," he said, his voice thick. "Damn it, Kagome, you wake up!"

He adjusted his hand to better support her head and immediately had chills when he felt the warmth of her blood mixed in her hair. Then, Kagome jerked and her eyes opened wide, gasping in a hoarse breath. The sudden influx of air to her airway caused her body to be wracked by sudden coughs. Inuyasha helped her sit up and took off his collared shirt to press it to the back of her head, against the blood. Her eyes were bloodshot and she tried to swallow but winced at the fire in her throat.

"Inu…" she said faintly, unable to finish saying his name.

"Idiot, take it easy," Inuyasha murmured. "What kind of trouble did you get yourself into now?"

Kagome glared at him, albeit a much weaker one than usual. Then, her eyes widened and she weakly pushed at Inuyasha's shoulders as if to get him out of the way. Inuyasha whipped his head around and immediately leapt up to block the blow that the inuyoukai was intending. He pulled back his arm and slashed at the inuyoukai, his claws grazing his torso. Then, Inuyasha reached into his pocket and threw something behind him before rushing towards the inuyoukai, bringing the fight away from Kagome. The object clattered on the ground and Kagome crawled towards it, realizing it was his phone.

Instinctively knowing what he wanted her to do, Kagome texted Kouga, not trusting her voice. Lifting her head, she saw Inuyasha brawling with the inuyoukai. She sucked in a breath when Inuyasha narrowly avoided a swipe to the face. Kagome noticed the strange tinge of green at the inuyouai's fingertips and remembered what Kouga had told her the previous summer about who they now knew to be Sesshomaru and his poison abilities. Apparently, this skill wasn't unique to him.

Inuyasha backed away from another attempted swipe at his torso and failed to act in time to avoid the strike to his face. He spun and hit the ground hard, the gash on his cheek more intense than it should have been. Belatedly, he realized why. Poison.

"Fuck!"

The inuyoukai grinned satisfactorily and lunged towards Inuyasha again. Inuyasha rolled to his side and narrowly missed the fist that landed where his face would have been. Tucking in his knees, Inuyasha pushed off of his shoulders and landed on his feet behind the inuyoukai, knocking him down by using his leg to sweep his feet out from beneath him. Then with a ferocious snarl, Inuyasha reached down and gripped his throat, making sure his claws broke skin as he squeezed.

Lifting him up into the air, Inuyasha increased his grip, growling, "How does it feel, bastard?"

Fighting to keep his expression impassive, the inuyoukai ground out, "Half-breed piece of shit!"

Inuyasha tightened his grip, earning himself a gurgle and the inuyoukai involuntarily kicked his feet. "Say that again," Inuyasha dared. "After I kick your ass, I'm going to enjoy interrogating you," he promised.

"You have no idea what's coming for you, pup." The inuyoukai smiled sinisterly, showcasing his bloodstained teeth. "Including _this_."

Simultaneously, he thrust his claws into Inuyasha's abdomen while a burning blow passed through Inuyasha's shoulder. Inuyasha gasped from the searing pain and froze. Kagome's scream echoed as if she were far away. Inuyasha released his grip on the inuyoukai and brought his hand down to his abdomen, pressing against the growing bloodstain on his undershirt, grunting from the pain. He resisted the urge to let his shoulder drop despite the dull ache in it.

"Where the fuck did he pull a gun from?" he hissed.

Then, Inuyasha glared down at the inuyoukai, only to notice him clutching at his chest. There were dark stains in the blue fabric of his stolen uniform.

"The fuck?"

"Take it easy, Inuyasha," Kouga said hoarsely. He ran up from behind Inuyasha, refusing to meet his eyes and focusing on the inuyoukai. "Class A restraints for him! Make sure to keep two youkai officers on guard with him en route to and at the hospital until he gets released into booking. Keep him alive— I want a chance to interrogate him!"

Kouga reached out to help Inuyasha, but Inuyasha swatted him away. "Get Kagome help. Bastard hurt her before I got here."

Kouga ignored him and gingerly pulled him up to his feet. "She's with the others. They're getting her into a bus right now. C'mon asswipe, he could've severed your spinal cord. How's your shoulder?"

"Feels like a fucking shiatsu compared to _this_ ," Inuyasha grunted. " _You_ shot me?"

"He was about to disembowel you!" Kouga had the decency to look slightly guilty. "I knew a through-and-through shot in your shoulder would be nothing for you, but I'd get him in the chest. Don't care if he's a high class inuyoukai— shot in the chest will take anyone down."

Inuyasha panted slightly as he made his way over to an ambulance. "Alright, quit rambling. I accept your shitty apology. Just get me to Kagome."

Subtly shouldering more of Inuyasha's weight, Kouga half-supported, half-dragged him to the ambulance. The back doors were open and they could see a paramedic checking over Kagome, in an effort to keep her attention, although Kagome was visibly distracted as she answered the medic's questions. Turning her head so that the medic could properly check the wound from when she was thrown to the ground, Kagome caught Inuyasha and Kouga approaching her and immediately made to get up. The medic held her down.

"He's riding with you to the hospital, miss. Inspector Kayasaki informed me when he handed you off. Not that I'd argue with him— the two of you definitely need a through scan," he assured her.

As they got closer to the ambulance, Inuyasha could see both relief and worry flood her face. The adrenaline allowed him to shrug off Kouga's arm and ignore the pain as he almost hopped into the back of the ambulance, although with less grace than usual. His focus was immediately on Kagome, nearly shoving aside the paramedic to look over her himself. He lifted her chin and frowned at the dark, hand-shaped bruising around her neck.

"You okay?" he asked softly.

"I'm fine," she said absentmindedly. Kagome took in the blood dropping down his arm from his shoulder and tried to keep her eyes from his abdomen and the deep crimson— nearly black— wound staining his undershirt. "When I saw him— the look on your face, I—"

"Hey, I'm okay. This is nothing," Inuyasha said in a hushed tone. "You okay?" he asked again. "Bastard knocked you around pretty badly."

"I'm fi—"

"I hate to interrupt, miss, but I have to argue that you're _not_ fine. At least, not until we can get you x-rayed and make sure there's no minor fractures in your throat and that you don't have any concussions from the blow to your head." The paramedic arched a brow. "I wouldn't exactly clear you either," he said to Inuyasha.

"No one fucking asked you," Inuyasha growled.

"Inuyasha, Sango— do you know if she's okay?"

"Saw her getting put into an ambulance. Told them to take her to Todai." Inuyasha directed his gaze to the medic, his gaze hard. "You're taking us there."

Sighing, the man relented, knowing that his two latest patients would be the most stubborn he would probably ever deal with in his entire career. He leaned back and spoke to the driver. Kouga took this moment to lean in, holding the frame of the back of the ambulance.

"I'll keep you updated on the inuyoukai. It's pretty obvious that this was an attack on Kagome. You two just make sure to get better. Let Miroku and Sango know I send my regards."

Kagome shuffled along the stretcher in the back so that she could reach out, placing a hand on Kouga's shoulder. "Thanks, Kouga."

Kouga smiled wryly.

Then, Kagome's face darkened. "But maybe next time you have a rescue mission, you _don't_ shoot Inuyasha."

Kouga laughed. "Had it coming to him. I'll try and stop by later after I settle this guy's security." He pushed away and shut the door, waving at the driver through the side mirror to get going.

As they drove to the hospital in silence, Kagome shakily hopped off of the stretcher to curl up next to Inuyasha on the bench while the paramedic worked to bandage up the grotesque wound in his torso. Inuyasha's jaw was clenched tightly as he tried not to grind his teeth against the pain as the bandage brushed against the raw skin.

"I've seen you get hurt a lot, but it still floors me how literally being impaled and having your internal organs slashed doesn't leave you more than a little sore," Kagome said quietly.

Inuyasha laughed through his nose, his lips still pursed tightly. "Keh!" he said breathlessly. "You humans and your need for an intact spinal cord."

"Thank goodness it's not a new moon," Kagome murmured, resting her head on his shoulder.

The ambulance stopped and doors were pulled open to reveal a team of doctors awaiting them with a wheelchair. Inuyasha stood and guided Kagome to the chair, when a young doctor nervously spoke.

"The chair's actually for you, Inspector."

Inuyasha curled his lip in what was sure to be a severe comeback, but Inuyasha froze at the slight pressure at his chest. He looked down and saw Kagome staring at him with wide eyes and raised eyebrows, silently imploring him not to argue.

"I'd rather give it to Higurashi-san," he said firmly, earning him an indignant sniff from Kagome.

"I think I have a solution," an amused voice said. Miroku stepped out from the crowd, looking fatigued, but in otherwise good spirits.

* * *

"How's she doing?"

Miroku and Inuyasha looked up from where they sat at their respective side of the room, electing to have Sango and Kagome share a room instead of having two separate ones. They stared warily at Kouga as he quietly closed the door behind him.

Miroku scrubbed at his face. "Both of them have pretty bad concussions and airway issues. Sango will be fine except for a little bit of soreness and a mild headache. Kagome has a bit more of a healing process to go through. That youkai caused tiny fractures in her hyoid bone with that grip."

Inuyasha glared at the bruises on her neck that had only gotten worse throughout the night.

Kouga shifted uneasily. "Everyone I interviewed… they mentioned Kagome was worried that Sango might be— well I guess in a pretty delicate situation. And I just wanted to know—"

"She wasn't pregnant, thank goodness."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at that. "Pregnant?" he asked quietly.

"When Sango was brought in, the attending on duty said the paramedics were worried Sango was pregnant and that there was possible damage to the fetus because her friend was in hysterics." Miroku watched Sango sleep with a tender look in his eyes. "They did a quick ultrasound to make sure before sending her into the MRI for her head injury."

"She alright?" Kouga asked.

"Knocked her head pretty badly. Broken wrist. Smoke inhalation. She got off lightly, considering Kagome and she were caught in the blast."

"That inuyoukai?" Inuyasha inquired.

Kouga frowned. "Name is Raion. He's a part of Sesshomaru's inner circle so he's high up in the syndicate's food chain. Didn't get much else. I didn't even get _that_ information from his mouth. Got it from a DNA match from a couple of unsolved murders mixed in with a report on a runaway. He came from a pretty affluent family, started acting out, and ran away. Fell in line with Sesshomaru."

"Guess they felt like they had something in common," Inuyasha sneered.

"How are you doing?"

"Oh you mean with this extra hole in my body that you gave me? Fucking peachy."

"Saved your life."

"That's why you're still standing," Inuyasha quipped. "Shippo have any news about what they found in Mizuki's desk?"

Kouga sighed and slumped in a worn out armchair in the corner of the room. "Still sifting through it. But charges are filed and there's a BOLO out for her. Internal Affairs are like starved, rabid dogs that caught a whiff of fresh meat."

Inuyasha glared at Kouga. "Your humor's not appreciated."

"Where's Ayame?"

"At the apartment. Souta and Kohaku are crashing there and she's keeping an eye on them." Inuyasha grunted as he readjusted his posture, his body stiff. "Why?" he asked suspiciously.

"Inuyasha, I told you, you'll heal faster if you just lie down instead of hunching over that chair."

Kouga huffed, "She was a target before. After what happened today, I figure she might be a target again."

Inuyasha groaned at the tearing sensation as he moved and curled into the bed, carefully shifting Kagome to the side. "Fucking liar. I smelled you all over her when she came home one night."

"We had one date. Sue me." Kouga grumbled defensively.

"None of my business. But Ayame—"

"Can take care of herself. And you're right. It's none of your business." Kouga crossed his arms and pursed his lips, resembling a petulant child. "But if you really need to know, both of us decided that it felt weird, considering how we know each other."

Inuyasha held up a hand. "Don't need to know."

A shrill tone interrupted the relative quiet and both Inuyasha and Miroku glared at Kouga as he fumbled to get his phone out of his pocket and answer the call, rushing out of the room.

"Stupid," Inuyasha grumbled, sighing when he felt another sharp pain as he shifted on the bed. The painkillers allowed Kagome to sleep through all of his movement and he watched her still face with rapt attention.

"Really makes you realize how much she means to you when she's almost taken away from you."

Inuyasha lifted his eyes and saw Miroku staring at Sango with same level of attention. "Too fucking close." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Miroku, I saw his fucking hand around her throat… and then Kagome stopped moving, stopped _breathing_ —"

His voice caught in his throat and Inuyasha had to clear his throat. He was grateful that Miroku resisted the urge to make fun of him for the rare emotional showing.

"Should've seen her when you got attacked the night of the new moon a few months back. She must have channeled you, she completely ripped my head off when I couldn't tell her what was happening to you."

"Keh! Deserved it."

"It was the catalyst for finally bringing you two together, though," Miroku pointed out. "So I guess something good came from it."

Inuyasha blinked and stared at him blankly.

Miroku smiled. "So any good news to come out of this?"

"Already moved in together." Inuyasha smirked. "Kagome tells me it took a year before Sango let that happen."

"Fact that I had to work hard to earn it only makes it that much sweeter."

Inuyasha's retort died in his throat and his ears swiveled when he heard the anxiety in Kouga's voice. He had relegated Kouga's phone conversation to the back of his mind, allowing it to turn into white noise, but he was alarmed by the shift in tone.

"What's wrong?"

Frowning, Inuyasha shrugged. "Didn't catch the details, but Kouga definitely has bad news."

As if on cue, Kouga warily walked back into the room, his face pale and his fist clenched tightly around his phone. He looked at Inuyasha with fear evident in his blue eyes.

"It was the protection detail assigned to your mother's place. Their shift was over and when the relief team arrived… they were dead and your mother was gone."


	45. Chapter 45

_Last Time…_

_Miroku smiled. "So any good news to come out of this?"_

" _Already moved in together." Inuyasha smirked. "Kagome tells me it took a year before Sango let that happen."_

" _Fact that I had to work hard to earn it only makes it that much sweeter."_

_Inuyasha's retort died in his throat and his ears swiveled when he heard the anxiety in Kouga's voice. He had relegated Kouga's phone conversation to the back of his mind, allowing it to turn into white noise, but he was alarmed by the shift in tone._

" _What's wrong?"_

_Frowning, Inuyasha shrugged. "Didn't catch the details, but Kouga definitely has bad news."_

_As if on cue, Kouga warily walked back into the room, his face pale and his fist clenched tightly around his phone. He looked at Inuyasha with fear evident in his blue eyes._

" _It was the protection detail assigned to your mother's place. Their shift was over and when the relief team arrived… they were dead and your mother was gone."_

* * *

Chaos erupted.

In a matter of seconds, Inuyasha leapt up from the bed, his face twisted into a vicious snarl. Kouga moved towards the door in an effort to block the enraged hanyou from storming out. Miroku rushed to hook Inuyasha's arms from behind and hold them back, gritting his teeth against the effort.

Inuyasha turned his venomous glare towards Miroku.

" _Miroku_ …" he said dangerously. "Let. Go."

Shaking his head, Miroku tightened his hold and pulled back further on Inuyasha's arms. The movement should have caused immense pain to Inuyasha due to the gunshot wound and the fact that the motion pulled at the gaping wound in his abdomen. The adrenaline and rage numbed the pain into a dull ache and Inuyasha's breathing increased, his vision turning red.

"You have ten seconds," Inuyasha warned in a deep voice that wasn't all his. "One."

Kouga tensed and settled into a slightly defensive position. "Miroku…" he warned in a low voice.

"Inuyasha, you can't just go off half-cocked! You're injured and you're obviously not using your head! Calm down and let's plan this out!"

"Two," Inuyasha growled.

"Miroku's right, dogshit! You storm in like this, you're dead and you might end up forcing their hand and getting your mother hurt in the process!"

" _Ten_."

Inuyasha lunged forward and broke free from Miroku's hold, the force causing Miroku to be thrown backwards, slamming against the wall. Kouga sighed and grit his teeth before charging at Inuyasha at breakneck speed. The two locked grips, pushing against each other in an effort to get the other to fold. Kouga's eyes widened at the transformation Inuyasha was going under. His sclera began to turn red, his irises shrinking and turning into an ice blue. The most significant change was the jagged purple marks on Inuyasha's cheekbones. These were marks of a full youkai.

"Come…. on… Inuyasha," Kouga grit out. "Fight it! Stop being so fucking stubborn and think about everyone else for a fucking second! You already have a damn hole in your stomach. You could die!"

Baring his elongated fangs, Inuyasha growled, "Don't care!"

"Inuyasha?" a small voice asked.

Inuyasha froze and blinked. Kouga could see the struggle in his face as the marks faded in and out. Kouga grunted as he used more of his strength to subdue Inuyasha.

"She's hurt, dumbass," he snapped. "She's hurt and scared and she needs you. And you're going to go run off and leave her behind? After everything we went through, was everything you told me just bullshit? Everything you put _her_ through?" Kouga stared at Kagome, a flash of pain and regret coursing through him before he hissed, "Protect your mate."

His words had an instantaneous effect and Inuyasha stilled, his transformed eyes wide.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked again, the urgency of the situation lending to the new strength in her cracked voice. It also caught Inuyasha's attention.

Using Inuyasha's distraction to his advantage, Kouga twisted Inuyasha's arms behind his back and forced him to turn around and look at Kagome. Miroku was at her bedside and helping her sit up, having woken her up, knowing that she would have the best chance at calming Inuyasha down.

Still groggy under the influence of the painkillers, Kagome's gaze was unfocused. "What's going on? Where are you going? Why—" Kagome broke into a coughing fit, speaking still too difficult for her after the inuyoukai's attack. But her eyes were trained on Inuyasha's, understanding dawning as she saw the markings. She had only witnessed this transformation once before in their youth and Inuyasha had made sure to tell her everything he knew when he had finally reverted back to his usual state.

Kouga felt Inuyasha go limp in his grip and the hanyou fell to his knees, his head hanging.

Kagome immediately swung her legs over the edge of the bed, accepting Miroku's support as her knees buckled under her weight. She stumbled over to Inuyasha, clumsily falling to her knees in front of him.

"Let him go," she rasped.

Kouga hesitated, unsure of how Inuyasha would react once he let him go.

"Kouga, let him go," Kagome repeated, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Briefly, he met Miroku's gaze. Miroku looked unsure, but nodded. Kouga let go of Inuyasha but remained poised to restrain him again if needed. Inuyasha slumped forward slightly and Kagome grabbed his shoulders and lowered her head to peer up at him. Inuyasha's face was screwed up, his eyes shut, and panting heavily.

"Inuyasha, look at me," she said quietly.

Inuyasha shook his head. "Can't… hold…"

"Look at me."

"Don't… want… danger—"

Kagome tightened her grip on him and glared at him. She pressed herself closer before scolding, "Inuyasha Takado, don't you ever try and say that I'm in danger around you."

Inuyasha swallowed roughly. "Can't—"

"Yes, you can," Kagome encouraged him. Moving slowly so as not to startle him, Kagome slid her hands up so that they cupped his face and pressed her forehead against his. She closed her eyes and tilted her head so that their noses brushed together. She could hear him inhale deeply and then relax.

"What do you need?" she whispered.

Inuyasha opened his eyes, his eyes still red. "You," he grunted.

"You have me."

Kouga cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Miroku, is Kagome alright now?"

Miroku frowned in confusion. "Alright? I mean, the scans cleared her of any swelling and internal hemorrhaging, but I wouldn't suggest that she go gallivanting with Inuyasha in search of his mother. At least, not right now."

Inuyasha pulled Kagome closer to him and buried his face into the side of her neck, inhaling deeply again. Kouga squirmed and explained, "Since Inuyasha is a hanyou, he hasn't had much exposure to controlling his demon blood. It's usually tempered by his humanity. But when exposed to a situation that stirs up strong emotion like anger— or rage, to be more precise…"

"His demon blood takes over," Miroku concluded.

"Exactly. And his father's youki is extremely powerful… Inuyasha's body and mind are half-human. So it's easy for his youkai side to overpower."

"So what does that have to do with Kagome?"

"His inner youkai can be calmed either by satisfying its bloodthirst or…" Kouga raised his eyebrows suggestively.

Kagome was grateful Inuyasha's thick silver mane was obscuring her face. She heard everything and could feel the warmth of the blush covering her face. Having gone through this before, she knew what Inuyasha needed. Of course, the last time this happened, they were sixteen and Inuyasha was satisfied with a kiss. And he was mad because of some kid named Ryo. But this wasn't just him losing his temper over a bully's taunts. From what Kouga was insinuating, a kiss would be like trying to douse a house fire with a water bottle. Thankfully, Miroku was nonplussed and continued the conversation with the same clinical tone he used to discuss patient statuses.

"But Inuyasha's hardly in any condition for that."

Kouga sighed. "Kagome, check his shoulder."

Kagome slid her hand and gasped softly when she pulled back the neckline of Inuyasha's t-shirt to reveal smooth skin where there was previously an angry red welt. As if his gunshot wound never existed. Immediately, she leaned away to try and look at the wound in his abdomen, but Inuyasha growled possessively and pulled her close, burying his face in her neck again.

"If he were to let you go," Kouga drawled, with a roll of his eyes, "you would've seen that his wound is probably partially healed. His regenerative abilities are much faster now." Kouga stared at Inuyasha in bemusement. "I'm just surprised he isn't carting you off already. Seems like he's just clinging to your scent."

Miroku tilted his head curiously. "If Inuyasha's fighting the transformation, he's probably trying to calm down without relenting to his demon blood. He knows Kagome's hurt. Her scent's keeping him in check."

Kagome stroked Inuyasha's hair tenderly, allowing him to lean further into her. "Kouga, if I… control this situation, can you make sure to have information ready for Inuyasha about Izayoi?"

"Already have Shippo working on it."

"How do you suppose you can _'control_ the situation'? Miroku asked.

Without looking at him, Kagome snapped, "Get that shit-eating grin off of your face, Miroku."

Her reprimand had caused laughter to bubble up Miroku's throat and even prompted a quirk of Kouga's lips, ruining his stoic expression.

"I'll deal with Inuyasha. I'm trusting you two to handle everything else until he calms down."

"I have men out looking for any trace of Izayoi, as well as Rin and suspicious inuyoukai. Just make sure you take care of this dipshit."

Miroku sighed and settled back in his chair next to Sango's side once more. "Inuyasha will be in good hands, just like Sango is." Regardless of whether Miroku intended to insinuate anything, Kagome's flush spread down her neck and she could feel the heat in her cheeks intensify.

"I don't think it's fair to compare you and me," Kagome muttered.

"Oh, Kagome?"

Kagome dared to lift her head and face Kouga. He stared at her with a strange mixture of acceptance and sadness in his eyes. Kouga nodded at her.

"Congratulations."

Then, he whirled out of the room before Kagome could even think to ask him what he was talking about it.

Kagome stared after him until Inuyasha's hand kneaded at her skin insistently. "Promise to call when Sango wakes up?"

Miroku chuckled. "Of course. Better hurry, Kagome."

Kagome pulled away and forced Inuyasha to look her in the eye. He growled slightly but stared back at her, recognition simmering beneath the surface of his glare. Kagome leaned forward and brushed her lips against his lightly, without fear or hesitation. She rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Inuyasha watched her impassively until she nodded her head and he stood, pulling her into his arms. He glared at Miroku and then left without another word. Kagome trusted him implicitly and watched the world fly by in a blur as he ran. He landed lightly on the rooftop of their apartment building and rushed down the stairwell in less than a breath. The door to the apartment was thrown open and slammed closed, the walls shaking from the impact.

Kagome soon found herself on her feet and getting caught up in a blazing kiss. Inuyasha's tongue parted her lips and quickly found itself coaxing hers to play. A hand roughly tangled into her hair while the other clutched at her thin hospital gown. His fingers flexed restlessly and Kagome had to break away from him with a gasp.

Without missing a beat, Inuyasha lifted her up again, supporting her weight with one arm, and having her wrap her legs around his waist. His lips nipped at her skin. Occasionally she felt the graze of fangs, causing a lazy heat to pull in Kagome's abdomen as he walked towards the bedroom. Kagome's eyes closed and she tilted her head back to allow him more access, ignoring the pain of her neck injury in favor of relishing the trail of fire Inuyasha's lips made on her skin. Inuyasha was drawn to the hollow of her throat and laved the spot tenderly, completely at odds with the way he used his claws to rip through the hospital gown.

He lowered her onto the bed and growled at her. Kagome lay back, skin heated and eyes darkened. Staring at her naked body, Inuyasha felt a surge pass through his body and the need to possess was so great he lowered himself onto the bed and kissed her hard. Kagome tugged at his shirt and Inuyasha pulled away momentarily to rip it off as well before attacking the column of her throat, entranced by sound of her pulse, her scent strong and heady.

Kagome hissed at the pain that flared up, her neck still sore. Immediately, Inuyasha leapt away and onto his knees. Kagome saw his eyes flicker between red and gold once more. She sat up and rubbed her hands across his chest soothingly, kissing the planes of his muscles periodically.

"Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha gasped and blinked, his eyes gold. "Kagome…" he panted heavily and she knew he was exerting a lot of effort to stay with her. "I didn't mean to hurt— we don't have to—" His words broke off as a snarl from deep within tore from his throat.

"It's okay, Inuyasha. I want this."

Trembling on the edge of precarious control, Inuyasha shuddered from her words, the thinly veiled desire in her voice. He opened his eyes to reveal crimson and he rasped, "Mine."

Kagome took his hands and placed them on her shoulders. She lifted one to her cheek and leaned into his rough palm. "Yours," she whispered.

Inuyasha dragged her against him, his mouth crushing hers, his kiss taking her breath away. Their bare chests touched and the insistent contact sent tremors through the both of them, instinctive need taking over. He trailed his fangs against her lips and she welcomed his touch, her own hands exploring his skin, and marveling at the sinewy ripple of his muscles. She pulled at the waist of his pants, tugging at the button and fly. Inuyasha growled and Kagome tightened her grip on his pants, nipping at the underside of his jaw in light censure.

"Mine," she murmured. Her eyes flicked up to his and she saw something akin to approval in the light of his eyes.

This time, he let her take off the remainder of his clothing and dropped his mouth to her chest as they settled back down onto the bed, his body creating a thorough caress against hers. His searing mouth latched onto a breast, swirling his tongue around the peak, and causing Kagome to cry out and arch into his touch.

"Kagome," he panted, his voice rough.

Kagome hummed in reply, her fingers urging him to continue, pulling at his shoulders desperately.

"I can't force you to do something—"

It was Kagome's turn to growl and she pulled his face up to look him in the eye. "I told you, idiot, I _want_ this." She punctuated her point by rolling her hips into his, causing the both of them to groan loudly as Inuyasha felt her wet heat brush against him. Kagome let her head fall back onto a pillow as she savored the tremors traveling all over her body.

Inuyasha rest his forehead on hers. The overwhelming scent of her arousal was causing his control to fray, creating a heady fog around him. "No, he wants to claim you. I won't do that."

Rising up to kiss him, Kagome whispered against his lips. "Why not?" she whimpered.

The ache in her plea set Inuyasha's blood on fire and he ground his hips against hers urgently, hissing at the heat that surrounded him. His rough hands raked their way down her sides, brushing her breasts before gripping her hips. He ground into her over and over again, the friction and slick sounds causing both of them to moan. She could feel him, his weight and pressure causing the lazy heat within her to surge into an inferno.

She gasped his name and begged, " _Please_."

"Mate," he growled.

Kagome's eyes flashed open to stare at him.

" _You and Kouga aren't mates… I don't mean anything by it. It's just that mating… most new mates— well…"_

_Kagome flashed Inuyasha a small, understanding smile. "The whole idea of mates and being so completely tied to someone forever, I mean, you're right. It's much deeper than marriage. While I still believe that marriage is for forever, mating… I don't know I can handle that kind of commitment."_

_Holding up a hand, Inuyasha stopped herself from explaining further. "Hey it's not my business. You don't owe me any explanation."_

Kagome held his face in her hands and nodded without breaking eye contact. "Mate," she agreed. "I'm yours, Inuyasha."

Her permission had opened the floodgates. Inuyasha's hands sought the silk of her skin as his mouth drew upon hers, demanding and insistent. Kagome's hands fluttered across his back, tracing the crests and vales and allowing her nails to drag against his skin. Inuyasha rose up on his hands, his motions full of purpose and determination. He kissed the spot on her neck just underneath her ear while a hand squeezed a breast. Kagome writhed beneath him, incoherent half-words mingling with whimpers and moans. She wrapped her legs around his waist, the heels of her feet digging into his lower back insistently.

Inuyasha fought against her grip and left a trail of kisses down her body, pausing to lavish her breasts with attention. He played and teased, lingering until goosebumps rose against her flesh. Inuyasha could smell her arousal increase and it surrounded them, saturating the air. His head spun and finally, he gripped her thighs, pulled them apart to make room for himself, and lowered his mouth to taste. Hot and slick, he kissed and suckled at her until her scent burned its way inside him, until Kagome took over all of his senses.

Crying out his name, Kagome's fingers twisted into his hair, pressing her hips against his mouth firmly. Her body shook and she threw her head back as she keened in ecstasy. The slow burn became an ache, an ache that swelled into need.

"Please," she gasped.

Immediately, Inuyasha's body was gliding over hers, intimately stroking hers and he supported his weight above hers as he peppered her face with light kisses. Kagome still shook as she rode waves of pleasure.

"Kagome, are you sure?" His voice was tender and full of concern.

Kagome fought to open her eyes, her eyelids just felt so heavy— her whole body felt boneless. She gasped when she saw that it was Inuyasha. No crimson eyes, no markings on his face, his fangs their normal size. Inuyasha.

He was back and he was giving her the chance to run away. She smiled lovingly and hugged him closer. "I'm not going anywhere, Inuyasha. Forever."

Inuyasha didn't need anything else. Lips pressed against hers, he swallowed her hoarse moan as he slowly pressed into her, groaning at the sensation of her body welcoming him, the wet heat surrounding him. Kagome lifted her hips as she felt herself stretch around him. A familiar feeling, but brand new as she knew this time would change everything. She met his eyes, saw the bare need, crush of desire, and the absolute love. All of it left her feeling weak and trembling. As they moved together, she found a place where love became corporeal and she saw it in his golden gaze.

His body also trembled, soft whines falling from his lips as his body tensed, reveled in the warmth and feeling of being so close to Kagome. His breathing was rushed and shallow. It was as if he were burning alive. She cradled him with her body as he drove her higher and higher. Their bodies moved faster, harder, the both of them desperate to reach something they had never thought existed.

Kagome was everywhere. Inuyasha smelled her, tasted her, felt her, stared deep into her eyes, heard her breathy moans as she murmured his name. She arched into him and her fingers danced down his spine while her heels dug into the back of his thighs to get closer. He grunted as he sought to give her what she wanted, pressing deeper, harder. He kissed her eyes, grateful for the way they crinkled with her smile, glared at him for his stubbornness, stared at him unlimited trust and love.

Inuyasha panted against her lips and kissed her gently. "Mine to protect. Mine to keep. Mine to love."

With each declaration, he thrust harder before groaning her name after his final words. Kagome's gasps grew louder and she felt the heat explode from her center, engulfing her whole body as she shook again, holding him closer. With a cry, Inuyasha's mind spun away as his body was swarmed by what felt like liquid lightning as she tightened around him. He quivered above her, riding out the sensation, before he sank his fangs into her shoulder. Kagome cried out and did the same, her teeth digging into his shoulder to try and stifle the scream. With the final joining of their body and souls, the two reached a second peak together and Inuyasha jerked as he thrust one last time, his claws gripping her hips so that he could get as close as he could possibly get.

With a breath, Inuyasha fell on top of her, careful to make sure she didn't take all of his weight while maintaining their connection. He pillowed his head on her chest, against her heart. Together, they took in ragged gulps of air and they felt the other tremble as they came down together.

Shaking with effort, Inuyasha rose and supported himself on one arm to look at her, concern and love evident in his eyes. Kagome smiled lazily at him, closing her eyes as she hummed in satisfaction. Inuyasha kissed her lightly and Kagome opened her eyes with a smile.

"I love you," he said hoarsely.

"I love you," she promised back.

He rolled them over and dragged her onto his chest, wrapping her in the protection of his embrace. Kagome sighed, lulled by the sound of his heartbeat in her ear.

"Should we go now?"

Inuyasha lifted his head to playfully glare at her. "Way to ruin the moment."

"Didn't take you for such a romantic," she said teasingly.

"Keh!" He kissed her temple, brushing away the damp strands of hair. "We'll go back in a while. You need rest. And I'm exhausted."

Kagome grinned. "Good to finally hear you admit it."

"Go to sleep, idiot. We have a busy day coming up. And you're not leaving my side."

"Hey!"

Inuyasha lightly slapped her butt and yawned. "You can't argue with your mate."

Kagome's face softened and she closed her eyes, murmuring, "Just this once, Inuyasha, I'll let you win."

* * *

The empty space was filled with the sharp _clack_ of heels hitting the dirty marble. The sound reverberated through the room in bouncing echoes. Rin immediately stood and bowed respectfully at the older woman. She turned and scowled at the silver-haired man at her side.

"Sesshomaru," she hissed.

"Don't bother," the woman said coolly, her beautiful face impassive, save for her ochre eyes. They were narrowed in a mixture of disgust and thoughtfulness. "He's never been one to show much affection, but I'm sure you've already learned as such in your time together."

Rin flinched at her dismissive tone and visibly deflated. The strong willed woman felt nothing more than a scolded schoolgirl in the presence of the female inuyoukai. She jolted when she felt a slight touch on the small of her back. She looked to her side and saw that Sesshomaru had his arm loosely around her waist.

The woman made a small noise through her nose. "More like your father than you think," she sniffed.

Sesshomaru didn't show any reaction except for the slight tightening of his eyes and the flex of his hand against Rin's hip.

"You have what you wanted, Mother," he told her. "So what is it that you intend to happen?"

Tomiko's carefully painted lips curved into a small smile. "Me? I'm going to make the whore wish she never set eyes on my husband."

Her predatory gaze settled on the unconscious form of Izayoi sprawled out on the floor in front of her.

"But first, I need her bastard son to agree with me."

Sesshomaru said nothing, but Rin could sense his curiosity. Unafraid of any retribution due to Sesshomaru's protection, she spoke up, "Agree? About what?"

"I'm going to make him wish that he should never have been born."


	46. Chapter 46

_Last Time…_

_The woman made a small noise through her nose. "More like your father than you think," she sniffed._

_Sesshomaru didn't show any reaction except for the slight tightening of his eyes and the flex of his hand against Rin's back._

_"You have what you wanted, Mother," he told her. "So what is it that you intend to happen?"_

_Tomiko's carefully painted lips curved into a small smile. "Me? I'm going to make the whore wish she never set eyes on my husband."_

_Her predatory gaze settled on the unconscious form of Izayoi sprawled out on the floor in front of her._

_"But first, I need her bastard son to agree with me."_

_Sesshomaru said nothing, but Rin could sense his curiosity. Unafraid of any retribuation due to Sesshomaru's protection, she spoke up, "Agree? About what?"_

_"I'm going to make him wish that he should never have been born."_

* * *

Kagome winced at the expression on Inuyasha's face, leaning back slightly in preparation for his outburst. When it didn't come, she saw the dangerous glint in his gold eyes and inwardly groaned.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," he said menacingly, his fangs bared.

Kouga frowned. "This is where the scent trail ends. Believe me, it wasn't what I was expecting, either."

"What the fuck is he looking for then?" Inuyasha paced in irritation. "Why would we want to end this _there_?!"

Kagome shrugged. "It makes sense to me. If this is all about getting back at your father… ending it at the place where it all started… I can see the thought process." Kagome's brow furrowed in deep reflection before shrugging again. "Maybe a bit dramatic, but serves a point. Something isn't right, though. He doesn't strike me as the type to put in so much… _flair_."

"The bastard didn't even put in real effort into trying to hide the trail…" Inuyasha muttered. "Fucking son of a bitch _wants_ me to show up."

"Most likely," Kouga agreed grimly. "Probably has a trap set up for you to walk into. Or he's that confident that he could kill you."

Inuyasha's eyes darted over to where Kagome involuntarily flinched at Kouga's blunt words. He sent a glare at the wolf youkai, but Kouga brushed him off. Kagome stared at the large screen of the laptop Kouga had brought to the hospital while Inuyasha and Kagome visited Sango, who remained unconscious. Onscreen was the image of an old abandoned building. It used to be a hotel and a popular venue for large-scale events. It was also where Toga and Izayoi fell in love so many years ago at a charity dinner. It had since been foreclosed for several years.

With a sigh, Kouga continued, "After the bombing yesterday, the chief isn't taking anymore chances. It's obvious that the bastard is making it personal. You have complete reign, Inuyasha. Your case, your lead. You manage to take this guy down, you topple one of the largest syndicates Tokyo's seen."

Inuyasha's eyebrows rose. "Surprised he didn't bench me considering how personal this is."

"He also knows you, you albino punk. If he were to make you sit this out, you'd go behind our back and get into trouble on your own. At least this way, he can keep tabs on you. _And_ make sure you don't get yourself killed."

"Don't need a fucking babysitter," Inuyasha grumbled.

"You're right— got a dogsitter instead. And I'm the poor sucker who drew the short straw."

" _Enough_." Kagome's stern voice forced the two men to step away from each other. She frowned as she took her eyes off of the laptop to gaze at Sango. "It's time for the two of you to get your head out of your asses and figure out a _plan_. How many more people is Sesshomaru going to hurt before we do something proactive?"

Kouga looked thoroughly put out that he had been scolded while Inuyasha smirked, his gold eyes glowing with pride at how Kagome took control of the situation.

"She has you whipped," Kouga muttered.

Inuyasha's smirk widened into a full-blown grin. "Worthy mate of an inuhanyou. Wouldn't have it any other way."

Kagome met his eyes, her expression still full of censure, but an undeniable tenderness in the light of her eyes. "You keep that in mind when we go to face him."

Inuyasha's smirk fell. He stood and took her hand, pulling her to her feet. Wordlessly, he took her from the room and into an empty hallway, closing the secure double doors behind them. He frowned at her as he touched his forehead to hers.

"What do you mean 'we'?" he asked her quietly.

Kagome took a deep breath. "He already took away my father, Inuyasha. He almost took Souta. He almost took _you_ … but I'm not scared." Her eyes flashed with determination and she held his wrists as he cupped her face. "I believe in you, Inuyasha. I know you're going to save your mother. And you're going to make sure that he can't take away anymore of our family."

Inuyasha closed his eyes and brushed his face against hers. "The bastard almost took _you_ away. I don't give a fuck if he _is_ my brother, I'm going to fucking kill him for that." He locked eyes with her. "But you didn't answer my question."

"I'm coming too, okay? Someone needs to make sure you don't lose your head and do something boneheaded! Save Izayoi and come home— that's our objective."

Inuyasha gave her a weak, sad smile. "So bossy," he teased lightly.

Kagome's eyes lingered on the spot on her shoulder where she had marked him as hers. Although his shirt covered the mark, it was as if she could instinctively hone in on it. She made a mental note to ask Inuyasha more about the after effects of a human undergoing the mating process.

"Kagome."

She lifted her eyes to his once more. Inuyasha stared at her for a moment and Kagome knew he was memorizing her face. She shook her head and tightened her grip on his wrists.

"You can stare at me after," she joked, although she found herself searching his eyes, committing the exact shade of gold to her memory.

Inuyasha lowered his face to hers and pressed his lips against hers gently. "I love you." He frowned at the scent of her tears. "You don't _need_ to come. It's safer if you don't. Everything will be fine," he reassured her.

Smiling through her tears, Kagome nodded and reached up to kiss him again, slowly and lingering. With false brightness in her tone, she said, "I know it will be. I just don't like not being at your side."

"Keh! It's the safest option."

"I know you _think_ that's the case."

Inuyasha groaned and walked away from her, his claws scratching at his scalp as he ran his hands through his hair. "Kagome, I can't take you with me!"

"And I can't let you walk away from me!"

Turning, Inuyasha demanded, "How am I supposed to focus on what I need to do if I spend half of my energy hoping that you stay safe?"

"You expect me to believe you wouldn't be doing that if you left me here? At least if I go—"

" _No_ ," Inuyasha cut in firmly.

"— then you'd be sure of _exactly_ where I am."

" _No_."

Kagome set her face into a scowl. "What if after you leave, you find out that he had someone attack the hospital? Inuyasha, what am I supposed to do if I find out that something happened to you and I could've been there to prevent it?"

Inuyasha shook his head adamantly. "These are inuyoukai, Kagome. Skilled, merciless, powerful people and I can't risk— you're too important to me—"

Hanging her head slightly, Kagome murmured, "You told Kouga I was worthy to be your mate. Let me prove it."

"Idiot, don't be so fucking stubborn! You were nearly blown to bits and then attacked less than twenty-four hours ago. You have nothing to prove!"

Kagome's head jerked up. "Neither do you!"

Inuyasha's eyes pleaded with her. "Don't you get it? I have _everything_ to prove! To that son of a bitch that I'm worth carrying our father's last name! To my mother that having me didn't royally fuck up her life— to _you_ that you didn't make a huge mistake bonding yourself to me for eternity!"

"Inuyasha, you didn't hold a gun to my head last night! It was my choice and I don't regret it at all." Kagome took in a deep breath and said softly, "Please don't ruin a moment in my life that I consider to be one of the most beautiful ones I'll ever experience."

Inuyasha gaped at Kagome and she chewed on her lower lip in anxiety. "So as your mate, you're going to have to deal with the fact that I'm not leaving your side anytime soon," she finished firmly.

Inuyasha stared at her, an inscrutable expression on his face. Then, he reached behind him and pulled his gun from the holster.

"Inuyasha! What the hell are you—"

He placed the gun in her hands and slowly, but deliberately, showed her. "Safety…" he clicked the latch. Inuyasha placed her fingers around the handle carefully. "Two hands. The kickback after firing will jar you. Hold on tight." He squeezed her hands and looked her in the eye. "And if anyone besides me comes near you, don't miss."

Kagome gave him a tiny smile. "My aim is great. Don't forget, you're talking to the former captain of the Horikoshi Archery Team."

"Keh! I haven't forgotten. I also remember how prone you were to letting your nerves get the best of you." Inuyasha took the gun back from her, putting the safety back on, and kissed the crown of her head. "I don't want you to have to use it, but I'd rather you have some sort of protection if I can't be there. Can't lose you after a day."

"Thank you," Kagome sighed, melting into Inuyasha's embrace.

"Did I hear correctly? You two are mates?"

The couple looked up and stared as Miroku smiled at them. Then, he rushed towards them, holding them in a tight group hug. "Congratulations!"

Miroku laughed to himself. "Figures, you two would _still_ manage to beat Sango and me to the punch. That explains why you look better, Kagome. The bruising around your neck has faded significantly, too."

Kagome looked over him with concern. "Miroku, you just finished a shift. Are you sure you don't want to go home… take a shower… sleep?"

"There are showers here and I'd rather sleep in a lumpy chair in that hospital room than in our empty bed." Miroku glanced at his watch. "Besides, it's time to relieve Ayame."

"Ayame?" Kagome shared a look with Inuyasha. "What do you mean?"

"Well after you all left last night, Ayame came in and offered to stay with Sango since her shift was over and mine was starting…" The smile faded from Miroku's face. "She wasn't there?"

Shaking her head, Kagome said, "We got here as soon as visiting hours allowed us to be. No one was with Sango…" She was quick to add, "Sango's fine, but she was alone."

"Ayame may have gone home? She wasn't at the apartment this morning?" Miroku asked.

Inuyasha immediately pulled out his phone, hissing, "Fuck! No, she wasn't."

The three of them rushed back into Sango's room. Inuyasha ordered, his voice hard, "Kouga, get Ginta and Hakkaku on the phone. Kagome, find out where your grandfather and Souta are." He turned to his phone. "Shippo! Pull up security camera footage of the hospital. I want to see everything from the past twelve hours. Keep an eye out for inuyoukai, known associates of the syndicate, or anyone with a record."

" _Anyone_? Inuyasha's that's—"

"Just do it!"

"Hold on Souta— Inuyasha, jii-chan and Souta are at the shrine!" Kagome called out, leaning away from her phone.

"Kouga, get Ginta and Hakkaku to escort them. Miroku, is Sango good to be transported?"

Miroku's eyes widened. He stammered out, "She— she had a major head injury and respiratory issues from the blast— I don't… Inuyasha, Sango can't—"

Inuyasha snapped, "Is it safe for her to be moved, yes or no?"

Miroku looked at his unconscious fiancée with grim determination. "If you really think it's necessary, Inuyasha, it can be done, but I'd prefer to hear other options."

"Hey!" Kouga bellowed. "Has anyone thought of maybe calling Ayame? She could've crashed somewhere else. Kagome, she does that sometimes, right?"

Kagome blinked and nodded rapidly. "Whenever she's really tired and doesn't think she can stay awake for the commute back to the apartment… she stays with someone here."

"Shippo," Inuyasha snapped.

"Already calling her number," Shippo quipped. "Went to voicemail."

Inuyasha turned to Kouga. "Get Ginta and Hakkaku to bring Kagome's grandfather and Souta here. Then we need to find a place to keep them safe."

"Why not just use a safehouse?"

"Mizuki knows all of them! She's probably told Sesshomaru and she's probably the bitch that told him when to grab my mother since she knows when the shifts switch!" He growled to himself, "I should've remembered."

Kouga pursed his lips. "Shippo, how's the video footage coming along?"

The sound of furious typing could be heard over the speaker. "I'm fast, but I'm not _that_ fast, guys. Twelve hours' worth of footage is a lot to sort through, especially when you don't wanna miss— oh shit."

"Shippo?"

"Fowarding now."

Everyone crowded around the small side table where Kouga had brought in his laptop. A clip opened up of the hospital security footage. Kagome's heart dropped when Ayame came into frame, yawning as she was making her way back from what looked like the coffee machine, a steaming cup in her hand. On the corner of the screen, the timestamp told them that it was just past four in the morning, a little over three hours ago.

As it was the middle of the night and the fact that Miroku secured a private room for Sango, the halls were basically empty, save for an orderly who stood nearly offscreen. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes as the clip progressed. Just as Ayame was about to enter the room, the orderly bum-rushed her. Ayame immediately lashed out, but her assailant held a cloth to her nose and mouth, causing Ayame to promptly fall unconscious.

"Entrances and exits?" Kouga demanded as they continued to watch. The man lifted Ayame over her shoulder and put her onto an empty stretcher, wheeling her out of frame.

There was silence as Shippo sifted through all of the security footage. Finally, he said, "Back emergency exit… he comes out six minutes later…"

"Shippo?" Inuyasha prompted, urgency saturating his tone.

"He has a big trash bag slung over his shoulder," Shippo replied quietly.

Kagome gasped and felt her stomach turn. "Inuyasha… we need to do something."

Inuyasha nodded and turned to Miroku. "You and Sango stay here. Shippo, get the hell out of that basement and stay here to keep watch. Kouga, have Ginta and Hakkaku pick up—"

"Katsumi and Souta, I figured. Kagome, get back on the phone with Souta and let him know."

"And what are you going to do?" Shippo asked over the line.

"I'm giving the bastard what he wants. I'm going to fucking kill the piece of shit," Inuyasha growled.

"Not alone, you're not!" Kagome reminded him, her eyes alight with emotion.

Inuyasha looked as if he wanted to argue against it one more time, but eventually, he nodded at her. "You don't leave my sight. You stay near me unless I tell you to hide, and if I tell you to hide, you hide, you hear me? And if I tell you to get the fuck out of there, you fucking _run_."

Kouga immediately burst out, "You're actually letting her go with you? You're even more of a fucking idiot than I thought— she's going to get herself killed!"

Kagome rounded on him, "This isn't your decision, and it isn't Inuyasha's, either! I don't need his permission."

"He's responsible for you!" Kouga growled. He turned to Inuyasha, "She's your _mate_."

"Exactly. And I'm hers. She's not my _property_ — we're responsible for each other. And if I don't let her come with me, she's just going to end up finding a way to sneak off and get herself hurt. At least this way, I have eyes on her and can make sure she doesn't do anything stupid."

"It's stupidity, is what it is."

"The more time we waste arguing is more time that Izayoi and Ayame are scared and hurt waiting for us to save them," Kagome huffed. "Kouga, I appreciate how much you care, but you know by now that when I make up my mind, my decision's final."

Kouga narrowed his eyes in displeasure but nodded. "Let's go." He immediately got on the phone and began calling everyone, requesting a response team to provide back up as they raided the old hotel.

Miroku grabbed Inuyasha's arm as the hanyou turned to leave the room, holding Kagome's hand tightly. "You two keep each other safe. Be careful."

Inuyasha nodded. "Let me know once Shippo gets here. You guys watch your back, too. We still don't know if the hospital is secure."

Cracking a small grin, Miroku replied, "Just make sure Sango and I still have a matron of honor and best man at our wedding."

He watched as Inuyasha pulled Kagome onto his back and ran out of the room, presumably towards the nearest stairwell and then onto the roof. Miroku sighed heavily and ran his hand over his face before sinking into the seat next to Sango's bed, holding her hand tightly. He closed his eyes and began to meditate, repeating Amida's name in a quiet chant, focusing on the safety of his friends.


	47. Chapter 47

_Last Time…_

_Miroku grabbed Inuyasha's arm as the hanyou turned to leave the room, holding Kagome's hand tightly. "You two keep each other safe. Be careful."_

_Inuyasha nodded. "Let me know once Shippo gets here. You guys watch your back, too. We still don't know if the hospital is secure."_

_Cracking a small grin, Miroku replied, "Just make sure Sango and I still have a matron of honor and best man at our wedding."_

_He watched as Inuyasha pulled Kagome onto his back and ran out of the room, presumably towards the nearest stairwell and then onto the roof. Miroku sighed heavily and ran his hand over his face before sinking into the seat next to Sango's bed, holding her hand tightly. He closed his eyes and began to meditate, repeating Amida's name in a quiet chant, focusing on the safety of his friends._

* * *

Kagome turned her head to the side and she caught a glimpse of Kouga as he ran a parallel route to her and Inuyasha. Then, she felt Inuyasha's hand flex as they held her thighs, capturing her attention again. She pressed herself closer to his back, and tightened her grip on his shoulders, although she knew there was no chance that he would drop her.

"You okay?" Inuyasha called back, his eyes momentarily glancing over his shoulder at her.

Leaning forward to brush her cheek against his, Kagome placed a small kiss on the side of his neck. "I love you," she murmured.

Inuyasha instinctively wanted to lash out and tell her to not think that way. That she sounded almost as if she was saying goodbye. But he knew Kagome didn't want to pick a fight. She just wanted to let him know. His ears flicking restlessly, Inuyasha took a deep breath and nodded, feeling her eyes on his face. "I love you."

Adjusting his grip, Inuyasha had to be more attuned to how Kagome was settled against his back. It was harder for the both of them to grip each other due to the bulk of the kevlar vest Inuyasha forced her to wear and the bag of supplies on her back that they had quickly grabbed from the apartment. On his next leap, he hiked her up higher to give her more leeway with her reach and so that she could tighten her grip on him.

"Why do I feel like a backpack?" Kagome mumbled, her voice wry. But Inuyasha's keen hearing still heard the underlying nervousness— the slight tremble.

"Keh! You're more fun to carry than a backpack."

Kagome blinked and her smile widened. "Oh really?" she asked, peering over Inuyasha's shoulder. "Do tell."

Inuyasha smirked, both from her blatant curiosity and his response. "Can't kiss a backpack," he quipped. Kagome rewarded him with another press of her lips against the side of his neck. Inuyasha chuckled and added, "And a backpack can't do that."

"So I win just by merit of being sentient?"

"Pretty much."

Kagome laughed, a strange sound, given their current situation, but Inuyasha's ears turned slightly to catch the carefree noise. Then, she sighed and rested her cheek against his broad back.

"Thank you."

Inuyasha briefly relinquished one of her legs to grab one of her hands and bring it to his mouth and kiss her fingers lightly. "It's my job to take care of you. Even if it means protecting you from your nerves."

He released her hand and Kagome took a moment to brush her fingers against his cheek before returning it to its place on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Inuyasha frowned. "I will be once we get my mom and Ayame safe. And that bastard behind bars or in the ground."

"They'll be fine, Inuyasha."

Remaining silent, Inuyasha's frown deepened before quietly asking, "How do you know that?"

Kagome hugged him tighter. "Because you've proven to me time and time again that you can do anything you set your mind and more importantly, your _heart_ to. Especially when it comes to your friends. It scares me sometimes how far you'll go. But it's also what I love about you."

"I scare you?"

Kagome tutted her tongue in mild censure. "You know, for your amazing ears, you have selective hearing. You know that's not what I meant."

"So are you scared or not?"

"Never with you," she replied. "Never _of_ you… Although… I do get scared of what you _might_ do. To yourself, at least. You have the tendency to disregard your own safety."

Inuyasha snorted. "Keh! You're the one getting yourself into trouble all of the time."

"It's not like I run headfirst towards it, unlike _you_ ," Kagome responded, a prissy tone to her voice.

Inuyasha chuckled. "Don't try and act haughty with me. That shit doesn't work."

"Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha and Kagome turned to see Kouga signal towards another rooftop and for them to follow after him. Gracefully, Inuyasha changed his course and easily kept pace with the wolf youkai. Once they landed on the rooftop, Inuyasha lowered Kagome and took the bag from her. The first thing he did was pull a light piece of fabric out from inside the bag. It was crimson red and looked immensely old. Kagome was scared to reach out and touch it, but then, Inuyasha draped it over her shoulders and pulled it over her head, tying the billowing sleeves so that he made a makeshift cloak for her. Kagome blinked at the cloak and looked up at him questioningly.

"This robe is made from the fur of the fire rat. It's stronger than any human armor and can deflect lesser youkai attacks." Inuyasha used his index finger to lift her chin so he could watch her face. "I'm not taking any chances with you."

Kagome smiled and then gestured to the kevlar vest beneath the robe. "If it's stronger than human armor, then is this kevlar vest really necessary?"

Inuyasha raised his eyebrows. "Like I said, not taking any chances with you." He took a deep breath and told her quietly. "This robe was a gift from my father when I was born… My mom held onto it for me until after he died. I never had a reason to wear it… didn't want to, to be perfectly honest. But when I was grabbing supplies for the go-bag in the closet… I thought of it. And you."

Kagome lightly brushed her fingers over the fabric protecting her. "You should be the one wearing this then. It's an heirloom from your father."

"And I'm using his gift to protect my mate." Inuyasha's gaze was determined. "He'd be more than pleased with how I use his gift."

"Can I at least convince you to wear kevlar, too?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "Restricts my movements and I don't want to limit my dexterity."

Kagome sighed, images of Inuyasha fighting flashing in her memory. He moved lithely and with such quiet grace, she knew he would hate the constriction of the bulletproof armor. She nodded at him and felt more at ease when he leaned down to give a soft, but lingering kiss. When they broke apart, Inuyasha reached around her waist and Kagome looked down to see him fastening a holster and sliding a gun into it. He showed her additional magazines that were fully loaded and also put them into another slot on her holster.

"Listen to everything I tell you," he murmured. "I say 'duck', 'hide', 'get out of here'…"

"Not leaving without you."

They locked eyes.

"I'll duck and hide, but there's no chance I'm leaving unless you're with me."

Inuyasha pursed his lips but simply kissed the crown of her head affectionately. "Come on, we need to hurry." His ears turned slightly and Inuyasha waited to listen. "Everyone's almost in position."

He turned to catch the dagger Kouga tossed at him. "So that's where that went."

Kouga scoffed. "Got caught up with my stuff. Tossed it in my go-bag and forgot to give it back."

"Yeah, I'm sure. Has nothing to do with the fact that it's a hell of a lot better than your piece of crap knife."

Flashing a grin, Kouga replied, "Never know."

Kagome looked out over the expanse of the city. "How much farther?"

"Not too far. Couple of kilometers. This is the closest we can get before they catch our scent so we're all regrouping here before setting out." Inuyasha adjusted his holster and dug into his bag to pull out a small bottle of tablets. He wrinkled his nose before spilling out three of them into his palm.

"Get it over with, Inuyasha," Kouga grumbled, taking one from Inuyasha's hand.

"What are these?" Kagome asked, tentatively taking one.

"Scent tablets. They temporarily mask our scents so it comes in handy when we're about to ambush criminals who happen to be youkai." Inuyasha narrowed his gold eyes, glaring at the innocuous pill in his hand. "Fucking hate it though. Even though our sense of smell is unaffected, the fact that I can't smell Kouga or anyone else on our side makes me feel…"

"Like you're alone," Kouga finished, his expression understanding. He disliked the scent tablets as much as Inuyasha. His blue gaze moved towards the tablet in Kagome's fingers. "You sure you want Kagome taking one? Would've thought you'd want to keep track of her."

"Bastards probably have her scent. They'd know something's up if they smell her. Besides, Kagome's not leaving my side and I'm not letting anything happen to her."

Kouga shrugged. "Still think you should tag her with a tracker."

Kagome bristled at his suggestion and snapped, "I'm not a lost dog!"

Staring at her, Kouga retorted, "But aren't you, though?"

Inuyasha's lips twitched and Kagome's cheeks turned a bright red. She hissed, "Just give me the damn tracker!"

Inuyasha smirked before pulling a small device from the side pocket of his backpack and considered Kagome. He pulled the collar of her shirt to the side, revealing her bra strap, and attached the tracking device to the strap, his fingertips stroking her skin briefly.

"Less chance of you knocking it off," he muttered before pulling her close. Inuyasha took a deep breath to take in her scent and the comfort it brought him. Then, he took her hand holding the scent tablet and lifted it up to her mouth. "We need to go."

Kagome watched Inuyasha and Kouga each take their pill, wrinkling their noses in disorientation as they each lost the other's scent. Without hesitation, Kagome put the tablet to her mouth and swallowed it, relieved that there was no bitter aftertaste. She watched Inuyasha's reaction carefully since she felt no different. Inuyasha's eyebrows knit together and although he was less than a foot away from her, the diminishing scent of honey and peonies caused his anxiety to rise. Sensing his tension, Kagome reached up and pressed her lips against his, reaffirming her presence.

Inuyasha turned to Kouga again, his expression unreadable. "Everyone going in is youkai?"

Kouga nodded. "As per your advice. No humans are going into the building. They're remaining as sniper support only in the event that any of the bad guys escape," he drawled.

"Good, I didn't want to have to wear comms." There was no point in using ear buds to communicate when the enemy could hear them just as clearly.

Inuyasha scowled again, adjusting to the strange experience of losing Kouga and Kagome's scents. Even now, he had a slight idea of where the other officers were, suddenly losing random scents around them as they took their scent tablets.

Speaking in a slightly louder voice, Inuyasha called out, "Everyone be ready to go on my command. The targets will be heavily armed and highly trained. Don't hold back. Keep an eye out for two women— one human, one youkai. They're our top priority. Stay smart and don't fuck up."

He turned, looking pointedly at Kagome. "That goes for you, too, you know."

Kagome replied, "I didn't ask for special treatment."

Kouga scoffed. "Yeah, but you're going to be getting it, regardless." There was nothing unfriendly in his tone, and he flashed a quick grin. "If you have nerves, I suggest taking it out on something before we get started."

Arching a brow, Kagome quickly punched Kouga in the arm, satisfied at the _thwack_ she heard as her fist connected with his skin. It may not have hurt him in the slightest, which she was fine with, but he was right— it alleviated her nerves somewhat. Kouga scowled at her, rubbing the sore spot.

"I might have a higher pain tolerance but I'm not immune to it. Damn, Kagome."

Opening her mouth to retort, Inuyasha beat her to it. "Keh! You get no less than what you deserve, if you ask me." His ears turned slightly and flicked as he heard something that Kagome couldn't. Inuyasha's face set in determination and he looked back at Kouga. "You heard them."

Kouga nodded, his blue eyes solemn. "They're in position. Lead the way."

Inuyasha faced Kagome, taking her hand and squeezing it lightly. "It's time," he said quietly.

Kagome met his eyes and Inuyasha searched them for fear, both surprised and proud that he found none. He saw concern, nervousness, maybe. But no fear. Kagome told him, "I figured. I'm ready if you are."

A ghost of his usual smirk appeared and Inuyasha turned, offering his back to her. "Alright then. Get on."

As she settled on his back, Inuyasha momentarily tightened his hold on her legs in a quick show of affection. He frowned at the lack of her scent, but the sound of her heartbeat was just as reassuring. "Follow your instincts, don't let your guard down, and let's make sure everyone gets home safe," he called out. "I'm taking point. Anyone encounters an inuyoukai called Sesshomaru needs to stand down. That's _my_ job."

They took off from the rooftop, the wind rushing past them as they made their way to the abandoned hotel.

Inuyasha took a deep breath. "Kouga," he said in a soft voice that only the youkai could hear. "Anything happens to me—"

"Shut the fuck up, baka. I'm not cleaning up your mess. Follow your own damn advice and go home with your mate," Kouga hissed back.

Inuyasha pursed his lips momentarily but shot Kouga a quick glance and a slight nod of his head. Kouga would take care of Kagome if anything happened to him, he knew. Bastard just liked being difficult. As they leapt up into the air, they caught sight of the building. The image of the hotel in its former glory flashed in Inuyasha's memory as he recalled its appearance in his mother's old photo albums. The sleek, austere exterior had severely deteriorated. Paint peeled, shingles dangled, and there were haphazard attempts to board up the windows and doors— attempts that seemed to have taken place years ago.

Narrowing his eyes, Inuyasha spotted an entrance without boards. Discreet, hidden by the shadows of the adjacent building. Easy enough for a human to slip through undetected, let alone a youkai. Even more so since no one cared to look at the old building anymore.

He landed lightly on the rooftop of the adjacent parking garage, crouching so that Kagome could lower herself from her perch on his back. Without glancing at her, he nodded at Kouga and ordered, "You gonna scout?"

Kouga gave him a smug grin. "Fastest legs on the force."

"Quit grinning and fucking prove it. Be back in thirty," Inuyasha said, without any real fire in his voice. He didn't even bother watching as his partner leapt from the roof and stealthily snuck in through the unboarded entrance. "Seconds, not minutes," he hissed.

In response, Kouga lazily waved an arm over his head before completely slipping into the building.

Finally turning to face Kagome, Inuyasha pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her tightly. Kagome let out a small breath in surprise but quickly recovered so she could return the embrace. Inuyasha buried his nose into the side of her neck, sniffing in vain to try and get her scent.

Kagome pulled away and smiled wryly. "Not the same, is it?"

His expression was careful, but Kagome could see the frustration in his eyes. "We don't have a lot of time…"

Unperturbed, Kagome's fingers slid up his arms to run through the length of his hair. "Well let me use my useless human nose to tell you what _I_ smell." She flashed a quick smile at him that caused Inuyasha to stare at her intently. "Mostly the rotten garbage and piss smell that comes along areas like this. But _here_ … this close to you?"

Kagome took a deep breath and stepped closer. "It's just so... _Inuyasha_." She laughed to herself. "Sounds dumb, doesn't it?"

Inuyasha shook his head and held her face in his hands. "No, I know. I must have smelled _millions_ of different scents in my lifetime but no one else comes _close_ to how you smell. I get it."

With a warm smile, she told him, "A fresh meadow. Lots of trees. Something earthy— sandalwood. A hint of spice. Lots of warmth. Safety."

Inuyasha tightened his grip on her face and lowered his lips to hers in a brief kiss. Shakily, he breathed, "I love you."

Kagome closed her eyes and nodded. "I love you."

Ears twitching, Inuyasha kissed her again, this time moving his mouth over hers slowly, teasingly. Kagome responded, her arms tightening around his neck. Inuyasha broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers as he stared into her eyes.

"Please don't do anything stupid. Stay safe."

"Right back at you."

Inuyasha's ears finally stilled and he looked at the old building warily. A shadow slipped out of the entrance and Kouga partially stepped into the light. He nodded at Inuyasha tersely before ducking back into the building.

"It's time. Come on. Keep your weapon ready, but don't fire unless absolutely necessary. We don't want to alert anyone that we're here or where we are."

He pulled away, repositioning his arms so that one wrapped around her upper back and the other hooked under her knees. As they leapt off of the roof and Inuyasha led the way into the building, Kagome felt strangely calm. A large part of it, she knew was due to shock, but she was also certain that she was secure in knowing that she was with Inuyasha.

As soon as they slipped inside the abandoned building, Inuyasha pulled her into a corner where Kouga waited, his blue eyes intense as they restlessly scanned the halls surrounding them, empty. For the moment.

"Everyone's congregated in what looks like the main ballroom. A couple of them are patrolling the halls, but nothing strict," he whispered at a level just perceptible to Kagome's ears. Kouga's eyes darted to meet Inuyasha's for a split-second before watching the halls again. "Something doesn't feel right," he muttered.

" _Nothing_ is right, not right now," Inuyasha groused.

"Izayoi and Ayame?" Kagome asked softly.

Inuyasha closed his eyes and sighed, his ears flicking. "In the main ballroom. With _him_. And Mizuki."

Kouga's eyes tightened at the mention of their former comrade. "She's not Inspector Mizuki anymore, Inuyasha. She's _Rin_ , lovestruck pawn of Sesshomaru Takado."

Kagome frowned at the vitriolic tone Kouga's voice took, but she forced herself to remember all of the destruction Sesshomaru caused. Destruction and grief carried out at Rin's hands on his behalf. Her father's body lying in her arms, his blood seeping through her clothes. The same thought process passed through Inuyasha's mind and he took Kagome's hand, tugging her so she would climb onto his back again.

"What the hell do you two think you're doing?"

Inuyasha snapped, "We're doing what he wants. He wants me, I'm going to him. I'm gonna get my mother and Ayame out of here. And then, I'm going to kick the bastard's ass for making everyone's life so damn miserable."

"Inuyasha—" Kouga started.

Ignoring him, Inuyasha told Kagome, "Brace yourself."

She brushed him off, "I'm fine. Just go!"

"Kagome!" Kouga growled.

Rounding on him, Kagome insisted, "Ayame swore to Inuyasha that she would protect me. If you think for a _second_ that I wouldn't return the favor for her out of sheer humanity, amplified by the fact that she is one of my husband's best friends—"

"Kagome," Inuyasha cut in. He froze and turned his head just in time to receive the hard blow.

Flying through the air together, the momentum tore Kagome away from Inuyasha and she fell hard, rolling from the impact. Inuyasha continued to soar and slammed into a wall. When Inuyasha opened his eyes, he saw Kouga in a similar situation, lying prone on the floor. Inuyasha ignored the urge to start rubbing his head as he glared at the inuyoukai standing over them.

Too late, Inuyasha and Kouga noticed where the inuyoukai directed his leer. He lunged and snatched Kagome up from the floor, batting away her attempts to fight him off. He braced one forearm across her front, his other hand hovering near her neck, his fingers flexed to show off his claws.

His grin widened as he stared at Inuyasha. "What's wrong, bastard? Worried I might break your pretty little slut?" He laughed unkindly. "Relax… I won't hurt her. If she can fuck _you_ , she must be into kinky shit."

Leaning in towards Kagome, he whispered, "Isn't that right, sweeheart?" Then, he pressed his lips to Kagome's neck behind her ear.

Kagome visibly shuddered and struggled against his hold. "Fuck off!" she hissed. She yelped when he slammed a hand against her chest, effectively knocking the wind out of her.

Sneering at Kagome, he commented lightly, "I like you better when you're quiet."

"Get your fucking hands off of her!" Inuyasha snarled.

"What, like I'm supposed to be scared of you? The weak half-breed? Sesshomaru's _plaything_? I mean, do you really think that you could have gotten this far, stayed alive, if he didn't _want_ you to— ah, ah, ah…" The inuyoukai stepped backwards, pulling Kagome with him.

Inuyasha had advanced towards him but the inuyoukai raised his claws, lightly dragging them across Kagome's neck. Immediately, Inuyasha froze.

The leer reappeared on the inuyoukai's face. "You can have her back when I'm done and she's a broken bitch."

Kagome leaned back and spit in his face.

The inuyoukai glared at her and struck quickly, Kagome's head snapping back from the force. "You bitch! Gonna make you pay for that!"

"You're not touching her," Inuyasha growled dangerously. He had pulled out his gun during Kagome's distraction and had it aimed at the inuyoukai's head.

"You think you can act faster than me, _pup_?" The inuyoukai sniffed arrogantly. "I'll have you shoot your own whore."

Kouga lifted his head slowly, his head groggy from the blow to the head. His vision swam in blurs. Everything came into sudden sharpness— akin to being doused in cold water— when he heard Kagome's gasp followed by the squelching sound of a bullet hitting flesh.


	48. Chapter 48

_Last Time…_

_Inuyasha had advanced towards him but the inuyoukai raised his claws, lightly dragging them across Kagome's neck. Immediately, Inuyasha froze._

_The leer reappeared on the inuyoukai's face. "You can have her back when I'm done and she's a broken bitch."_

_Kagome leaned back and spit in his face. "You_ can't _break me."_

_The inuyoukai glared at her and struck quickly, Kagome's head snapping back from the force. "You bitch! Gonna make you pay for that!"_

" _You're not touching her again," Inuyasha growled dangerously. He had pulled out his gun during Kagome's distraction and had it aimed at the inuyoukai's head._

" _You think you can act faster than me_ , pup _?" The inuyoukai sniffed arrogantly. "I'll have you shoot your own whore."_

_Kouga lifted his head slowly, his head groggy from the blow to the head. His vision swam in blurs. Everything came into sudden sharpness— akin to being doused in cold water— when he heard Kagome's gasp followed by the squelching sound of a bullet hitting flesh._

* * *

"Inuyasha, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Kouga bellowed. He scrambled up to his feet and immediately rushed towards Kagome.

Kouga pulled up short when he saw that Inuyasha had beat him to it and was huddled over Kagome's small frame, his back to Kouga. His stomach in his throat, Kouga opened and closed his mouth rapidly to try and get his voice to work.

"Inuyasha?" he finally said, his voice cracking.

Inuyasha turned his head over his shoulder slowly, as if noticing Kouga for the first time. His ears flicked agitatedly and there was a beat before he shifted and turned to face him completely. Kouga sighed in relief. Inuyasha was holding Kagome as she trembled, her eyes wide and her face pale, save for the redness on her face where the inuyoukai struck her, a bloody and swollen lip serving as additional evidence.

"Kagome?"

"She's fine," Inuyasha said quietly. "You're fine," he said to Kagome. "Right?" he asked, his voice forceful but obviously tinged with worry.

Kagome nodded, her eyes still wide.

Inuyasha reached forward and gingerly pinched the barrel of the gun and gently tugged it from Kagome's stiff fingers. "You did amazing," he whispered, his lips pressing into her hair as he hugged her tightly.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome nodded again, this time with more confidence as the shock finally subsided. Kagome stared at her slightly shaking hands, still feeling the adrenaline coursing through her body. "Is he…" She gulped. "Did I…?"

"The bastard can't hurt anyone anymore. You made sure of that." Inuyasha held her tightly and kissed her temple. "We're safe."

Kouga scoffed. "For now."

Inuyasha glared at him. "We got blindsided. I'm not going to let it happen again."

Kouga lifted an eyebrow but dropped the subject, instead walking over to where the inuyoukai was bleeding out, the dark red staining his chest and pooling beneath him. His faint breath came out as a weak rattling sound. With a whistle, Kouga muttered, "Damn, Kagome. You see this, Inuyasha?"

"Gunshot wound to the chest. Probably hit a major artery. Damage is being done faster than he can heal. I figured." Inuyasha stood and put Kagome to her feet, making sure to return the gun to the empty spot in her holster.

"How the fuck did we miss him?" Kouga huffed. "I should've been able to—"

"Bastard was given a scent tablet." Inuyasha groaned and scrubbed at his face. "We need to let the others know to be careful. Playing field is evened out."

Kagome frowned in confusion. "How'd he get his hands on those? I thought the force had the sole advantage with the tablets. Those are supposed to be for the good guys, aren't they?"

Inuyasha's face darkened. "Rin," he growled. "But it looks like she wasn't able to get enough for everyone. Still, we're not sure of their total numbers now…" He looked at Kagome. "You can go now. I'll take you to one of the rooftops outside. Make sure someone keeps you safe."

"Like hell you are!" Kagome reared back and glared directly into Inuyasha's heated gaze, unfazed by the ferocity of his stare. "I am your _mate_ ," she hissed, "and I am _not_ going to just stand idly by while you go— without knowing if I'll ever see you again!"

"You think I _can_?" he roared. "You think I can just watch from the sidelines if something like _that_ —" he gestured to the dying inuyoukai— "happens again? What if we don't get lucky next time, Kagome? What if next time, it's _you_ bleeding out on the ground?" His breath hitched and he reflexively tightened the fire rat robe around her shoulders. "If it's something worse?"

Kagome huffed. "You won't let that happen!"

Inuyasha countered softly, "What if it's out of my power?"

"Inuyasha's right, Kagome," Kouga cut in. "You're out of your depth."

"We're _all_ out of our depths right now," she snapped back, unyielding in her stance.

Inuyasha kept his eyes on her, the golden orbs intense with an emotion Kagome couldn't place. Quietly, he said, "Kouga, scout again. Thirty seconds."

Kouga arched an eyebrow but nodded. "Less." He turned and raced off, down another set of hallways.

Taking a deep breath, Inuyasha stepped towards Kagome. "Go back out and tell the others—"

"I'm not taking an out. Stop fighting me on this and just accept that I'm not leaving you."

"I can't lose you," he said through gritted teeth.

"And you think I can afford the same with you?" Kagome reached up and cupped his face. "I am safest with you. Don't let him twist our relationship. I am safest with _you_."

Inuyasha's jaw twitched and his ears were equally restless, swiveling back in forth. Inuyasha was hyperaware of their surroundings, even more diligent due to Kagome's presence. He sighed and told her, "I still don't think this is a good idea."

"Good." At his confused glare, Kagome continued, "You never really have good ideas anyway."

Pressing his lips to hers in a brief kiss, Inuyasha shook his head at Kagome. "Now's not the time for you to kickstart your stand up career."

Kagome opened her mouth to protest, hoping to keep the mood light, but Kouga returned, his expression stony. "Found them. We need to move fast. We have ten minutes until our guys storm the place and we need to get everyone out safely. So is she staying or going?"

"Going."

"Staying."

Inuyasha glared at Kagome, but he knew they were losing time arguing. He pressed his lips together and turned to Kouga, who immediately turned back towards where he came from, urging them, "Come on!"

Inuyasha pulled Kagome onto his back and began following Kouga through the labyrinth of hallways as they moved through the abandoned building. "Got something to tell us?" Inuyasha hissed.

Kouga snorted. "Other than I found your mom and Ayame so we need to hurry the fuck up because we don't know what your bastard brother is planning to do with them and this whole place is about to light up?"

"Technically, _I'm_ the bastard."

Kagome huffed. "Now's not the time for you to kickstart your stand up career," she echoed.

"Ha ha," Inuyasha replied dryly.

Then, his expression fell, his brow furrowing as he noticed something that Kagome couldn't with her human senses. His eyes slid over to Kouga, the wolf youkai's expression still grim. As if he knew, Kouga met Inuyasha's gaze and gave a discrete nod of his head. Inuyasha felt his mouth go dry. The scent lingered in his nostrils, buzzed in his head.

Metallic, acrid— the smell of blood. The stench turned his stomach and Inuyasha could instantly tell that it was a mixture between old, dried blood and fresh wounds. They had beat them. They had hurt his mother and Ayame. Had _been_ hurting them. Were _still_ hurting them.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said worriedly, her hold tightening around him. She had sensed his tension and felt the subtle rumblings as he emitted a low growl. "What happened?"

Taking in a deep breath, Inuyasha grit out, "We smell blood. They've—"

He couldn't bring himself to say the word 'torture'. Especially not when it concerned his mother. "Sons of bitches hurt them," he snarled.

Kagome remained silent, unsure of an appropriate response. After a moment, she pressed herself closer and assured him, "You're going to save them. You're going to bring them home."

Inuyasha said nothing but quickly squeezed her leg as he ran before abruptly stopping behind Kouga and lowering Kagome. He held a finger to his lips and moved his ears meaningfully before jerking his head in the direction of what looked like an entrance to the former ballroom.

Nodding in understanding, Kagome steeled herself against whatever was going to happen.

The double doors suddenly swung open, revealing the abandoned space. Two foreboding inuyoukai stood at the entrance, glaring at the trio. Kagome's eyes lingered at the guns nestled in their holsters. Straight ahead, Izayoi and Ayame sat, bound and bloody, on the ground. Ayame was much worse for wear and Inuyasha instantly knew that she had been severely punished for trying to protect his mother throughout their capture. The women's heads were hung, their hair out of place and falling so that it cast shadows over their face.

But the opening of the doors caused Ayame to stir, lethargically lifting her head. Once she caught sight of Inuyasha, Kagome, and Kouga in the dim light, she straightened up, unknowingly gasping Inuyasha's name in a strained voice.

At the sound of her son's name, Izayoi lifted her head. "Inuyasha…" She shook her head, groaning as the movement caused a sharp pain to jolt throughout her whole body. "No," she groaned.

"But Izayoi, this was all for the two of you," a bitter voice rang out. "A big, happy family reunion!"

Inuyasha pulled Kagome closer to him. "What the fuck is going on? Who are you?"

His eyes were roving the room, scanning it for Sesshomaru. They alighted on the stoic inuyoukai as he stood off to the side, Rin curled into his side. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed and his face hardened, the hollows of his face emphasized by the shadows of the dim room.

"You fucking bitch!" Inuyasha growled.

Save for a slight line appearing between his brows and the tightening of his eyes, Sesshomaru remained still. He warned coolly, "Watch your damn mouth, brat."

Ignoring him, Inuyasha continued, "You were one of us! We worked together— I've risked my _life_ for you and you'd rather whore yourself out to this prick?"

Sesshomaru tensed, but Rin grabbed onto his upper arm with both hands. She stared at Inuyasha with a conflicted expression for a split second before it returned into an impassive mask. "I don't owe you an explanation."

"The fuck you don't!"

"Rin," Sesshomaru warned.

Inuyasha kept going, "The _fuck_ you don't! Where was this asshole when you got ambushed by that dick during the warehouse raid in Shinjuku? When the deranged junkie lost it in the interrogation room and tried to strangle you with his cuffs? Or when—"

"I don't owe you an explanation!" Rin shouted over him. "But since you're acting like the petulant bastard that you are— I _love_ him. He saved my life. If it wasn't for him, I'd be stuck in that godforsaken hellhole and I'd either be strung out in a brothel or dead on the streets. So _fuck you_."

"Sesshomaru, control her."

Rin whirled around to level a glare before immediately shrinking back towards Sesshomaru. He paid no heed to his mother's instruction, neither berating nor defending Rin.

"Who the hell are you?" Inuyasha demanded. "Stay out of this. This is between me and _him_." He jerked a finger in Sesshomaru's direction.

Tomiko sneered, "If you want to really get down to the nitty gritty of it, all of this started between myself and your whore of a mother."

Inuyasha lunged towards her, but Kouga was quick to hold him back as several of the armed men in the ballroom reached for their weapons.

"Don't be an idiot," Kouga hissed. He gestured towards Kagome. "We're not all as indestructible as you."

"Fuck," Inuyasha spat, "I _knew_ this was a bad idea."

"Not my fault if you don't know how to say 'no' to her."

Kagome elbowed Inuyasha. "Don't need superhuman hearing to hear you two hissing about me," she muttered, her eyes trained on the people surrounding them. Her fingers twitched and she felt her stomach drop as she realized how no matter how quickly she reached for her gun, she would be the slowest in the room.

The woman looked between Inuyasha and Kagome with narrowed eyes, briefly darting them over to Sesshomaru and Rin. She said coldly, "You two and your father are more alike than you give yourself credit for."

She strode over to where Izayoi was bound and grabbed her chin roughly, her manicured claws pressing against Izayoi's skin. "Look at that," she mused, "Our boys aren't that different after all," she crooned with false sweetness.

The saccharine smile fell from Tomiko's face and she slapped Izayoi. "Disgusting," she spat. "What is it about human women that has so much appeal for those with Toga's blood?."

She cast a glance at Ayame and tutted her tongue in a mockery of sympathy. "Look at you, a full-blooded youkai and still not good enough for his bastard son."

One of Ayame's eyes was swollen shut, but the other narrowed at the older youkai with disdain. Save for a harsh breath, she kept silent, however.

An inuyoukai among the crowd barked out in laughter. "Bitch finally learned to bite her tongue!" he crowed, garnering laughter among the others.

Inuyasha watched the entire exchange silently, his body tight and his heart racing. "What do you want?" he demanded, his voice's strength covering up his uncertainty. "Listen, this has nothing to do with you. I told you— this is between that son of a bitch and me."

"Watch your mouth, whelp," Sesshomaru threatened coolly. "Don't forget how close you were to losing your life the last time we faced each other."

"Keh! As far as I'm concerned, you were the one who ran away with your fucking tail between your legs. Not so high and mighty if you can't face a ' _half-breed_ '," Inuyasha sneered.

Sesshomaru's expression did not change as he regarded Inuyasha. "It would be a waste of my energy to argue with you and prove myself right."

"Enough." Tomiko's high voice was clear and cut through the space, demanding everyone's attention.

"Had enough of your games, Mother?" Sesshomaru asked coolly.

Tomiko pouted prettily at her son. "Call it a scorned woman's prerogative." Then, her golden gaze hardened as she stared at Inuyasha. "Your _brother_ —" she spat the word, "— just makes it so _easy_ with all of the toys he brings." She eyed Kagome.

Her fangs showed as she grinned. "Look at that pretty doll he brought." The grin fell as she took in Kagome's attire, the rich crimson cloth wrapped over her shoulders. "Even wears Toga's old clothes like a street rat. I don't think that belongs to you, dear. I want that robe back."

Kagome's back stiffened and she fought the urge to squirm as she felt the eyes of every inuyoukai turn towards at her.

"We'll have a lot of fun playing with her, won't we boys?"

Several of the inuyoukai smirked and leered at Kagome and Kagome couldn't repress the shudder that traveled throughout her body. Inuyasha immediately pushed her squarely behind him. Kouga also stepped forward, his face dark with a menacing glare.

"You motherfuckers aren't getting anywhere near her," Inuyasha snarled, his face an ugly mix of rage and hatred.

"Shouldn't have brought your toy if you didn't want to share," Tomiko said coldly. "Stupid child. You'd bring your greatest weakness with you?"

Kagome bristled against the accusation but ultimately, she knew that Tomiko was right. It was nearly impossible to hurt Inuyasha. Unless someone hurt her.

"You're wrong." Inuyasha grabbed Kagome's hand tightly. "Kagome isn't a weakness— she's my greatest _strength_. And if you don't understand that, then you'll never understand why my father left you for my mother. Why he made the _right decision_ to leave you."

There was only a slight change in the set of the woman's eyes, but Inuyasha saw it. In the split-second between that and her attack, Inuyasha turned and leapt away with Kagome in his arms, a barrage of bullets careening in the empty air where they once stood, the men following Tomiko's silent signal. Kouga did his best to cover them by returning his own fire. Inuyasha gripped Kagome's face and kissed her hard.

Far too quickly for either of their tastes, he pulled back and pressed their foreheads together.

"We don't have enough time," he said breathlessly. His heart was racing and he could feel his blood pounding as adrenaline began to surge.

Kagome blinked. "I love you," she blurted, somewhat unsure of what he was thinking.

"I'm sorry, but I can't risk—"

"Inuyasha, I promised – I'm not abandoning you!"

"You also promised that I would never feel alone again," he reminded her in a harsh whisper. "Kagome, if _anything_ —"

Kagome shut her eyes and shook her head, dread settling deep in her gut. She knew what he was going to say. "I know," she said brokenly.

Lifting her head, Inuyasha steeled himself against her tearbright gaze. He looked beyond her towards Kouga, sharing a look with his partner. "I can't risk it. Help is coming," he told her quietly. "Kouga already sent the signal. He's going to get you out of here."

"What?" Kagome's reared back. "He's _leaving_ you?"

"Just for a—"

"Don't lie to me!" Kagome growled.

Inuyasha cut her off with another hard kiss and twisted his hand into the hair at the nape of her neck before pulling away. "Knowing that you're alive and safe— knowing that you're waiting for me to come back. That's everything I need. Trust me, Kagome. Wait for me until I come back."

Kagome's lips pressed into a hard line, but she eventually nodded, knowing he was right. She could offer him no help and she was being selfish in trying to stay. This time, Kagome reached up and pulled his face down to her in a searing kiss, pouring everything she had into it. She pulled away and nodded, not able to tear her eyes away from his. Then, with her next breath, the world fell away into a blur of colors and the sound of air rushing past her, Kouga's grip firmly against her waist. She bit her tongue and screwed her eyes shut. She didn't want Inuyasha to smell her tears.

Inuyasha immediately fired his gun as Kouga ran past him and back out of the room. As he fired, half of his mind was trained on the fading sounds of Kouga's footsteps as he ran out. Soon, his gun clicked as he ran out of bullets and he quickly reloaded as he dodged behind a concrete pillar, peering over his shoulder before ducking back to avoid the next round.

"So this was your big plan?" he taunted, his voice full of his usual bravado although his mind was far away, chasing after Kagome. "Get me here and kill me? That's what you waited years for? This is it?"

He ducked out from behind the pillar and fired several shots, managing to hit some of the men in the head, hearing satisfying thuds as he retreated again.

"Sounds fucking lame!"

Inuyasha's blood turned to ice as he heard his mother's shriek, although Izayoi tried to mask it by gritting her teeth.

"Your boy has a foul mouth on him, doesn't he? There's really no accounting for breeding."

"Let him be," Izayoi panted, clutching at the deep slash on her lower abdomen that Tomiko had inflicted with a claw.

Tomiko blinked at Izayoi and laughed harshly. "Excuse me? 'Let him be'? As if allowing his existence for the past twenty-odd years wasn't enough _kindness_ on my part!"

"Your issue is with me, Tomiko!" Izayoi hissed.

Inuyasha had never heard that much venom in his mother's voice and froze when he heard her scream again, the smell of fresh blood filling his mind. As he charged from his cover, he saw Ayame get to her feet and lunge at Tomiko, pushing the older youkai away from Izayoi. Inuyasha took the opportunity to go for his mother, his anger giving him enough power to effortlessly slash through the youkai that tried to stop him.

He picked up his mother gently and leapt away, quickly looking her. "I have to get you out of here— soon."

Izayoi weakly grasped her son's arm. "Don't leave Ayame. I'll be fine."

"Like hell you will." Nevertheless, Inuyasha looked back and saw Ayame dodging various strikes from Tomiko, though with much less grace than she normally would have. She was tired and injured with one working eye. And he didn't trust Sesshomaru or the others to not team up and outnumber her.

"Damn it all," he muttered.

"Inuyasha, _go_. Help her," Izayoi urged. She laughed weakly and offered a serene smile. "Trust me, I'm staying put."

His eyes lowered to where she clutched at the deep wound in her abdomen and he froze. "Mom…"

"Go! If you're ever going to listen to me, Inuyasha, please let it be now!"

Inuyasha's gold eyes tightened but he clenched his jaw and nodded at her before ducking back to Ayame's side, successfully pulling her away from Tomiko's claws, and then swinging back, his claws narrowly missing Tomiko. The female inuyoukai smiled as she loftily sidestepped his strike.

Narrowing her gold eyes at him in appraisal, she murmured, "Let's see how well Toga's blood can survive being tainted by human blood."

"Nothing tainted about my mother," Inuyasha yelled, lunging towards her again.

Tomiko smirked and held up a hand, but it was the simultaneous sounds of female screams that caused Inuyasha to freeze. "Don't forget who has the upper hand, brat."

Two inuyoukai held Ayame and Izayoi tightly, guns pressed to their temples. Ayame was bleeding heavily from a cut near her hairline but she was still struggling, completely focused on Izayoi. The older woman was panting and leaning heavily against the inuyoukai holding her, her usually fair complexion taking on a grey pallor. The inuyoukai holding her grinned at Inuyasha and waved, the tips of his claws covered in crimson.

"Oops," he said lightly.

"Bastard!"

"Oh, let's not mince words, _Inuyasha_. Don't forget— _you're_ the bastard here," Tomiko drawled.

"Alright! I fucking get it! You have an issue with my father so take it out on him!" Inuyasha quickly fought past an inuyoukai in his efforts to get towards Izayoi. "But the old man made it clear he didn't want anything to do with you before they had me— _Wanted_ me, _decided_ to have me in spite of you!"

Tomiko's face hardened. "Insolent, dirty-blooded _filth_! I'm sure Toga is _rolling in his grave_! Regretting the day he ever decided that you two were worth his life! He would still be here now if it weren't for _you_ , if he didn't make such idiotic decisions!" she lashed out, her teeth bared.

Sesshomaru, who had remained silent during the entire exchange, allowed the slightest frown in the set of his mouth. His eyes slid over to his mother as she glared at Inuyasha, a manic smile parting her blood-red lips.

Inuyasha froze and turned to her. "What the fuck are you talking about? He died in a car crash."

"Toga wasn't just _any_ inuyoukai. He was daiyoukai and lord of this region. You think that honor was given to just any youkai? You think these men willingly sacrifice themselves for a _weak_ man?"

"They seem to be okay with sacrificing themselves for a crazy bitch," Inuyasha countered.

"If you think a simple car crash killed Toga, then you have no right to call yourself his son."

Inuyasha bristled and demanded, "What the fuck does this have to do anything?"

"Toga wasn't killed by a simple _car crash_. A car crash? You stupid boy, you think a _car crash_ could have killed Toga, one of the strongest inuyoukai this world had ever known? No, _I_ ended him. Before he ruined me with that pathetic marriage to your whore of a mother."

"That's enough Tomiko", Izayoi spoke with a quiet anger that silenced everyone. "Are you done being a coward? You've let our boys fight _our_ battle long enough. What kind of mother would do that?"

Inuyasha slowly realized what Tomiko was insinuating and he shook his head slowly. "He's the father of your child," he said in disbelief.

"He wasted his time trying to call _you_ his child!"

"Inuyasha!"

Kouga's voice rang through the stunned silence and Inuyasha immediately threw himself to the ground in time to avoid the gunfire that rained above him as Kouga ran back in with a full team of youkai officers. He rolled and saw that Kouga held his mother and shielded her. The two made eye contact and Inuyasha immediately waved his arm out in the direction of the exit.

" _Get her out of here!_ "

Pursing his lips slightly, Kouga glanced at the other youkai who were engaged in a firefight with Tomiko's men. One more glance at the intense, almost desperate look in Inuyasha's eyes ended Kouga's hesitation, and just like Kagome, he took Izayoi and ran out, knowing that Inuyasha only trusted him.

Safe in the knowledge that both his mother and Kagome were out of the building and safe, Inuyasha leapt to his feet and immediately cut down the youkai that hurt his mother, allowing the warm blood on his claws to be a symbol of his quick need for revenge. Then, he lunged for the youkai that held Ayame, knocking the gun away from his hands, his speed eliciting a shocked expression on the youkai's face, allowing Ayame to limp away. Then, Inuyasha lunged for Tomiko.

The inuyoukai's beautiful face was twisted with rage as she noticed that Izayoi had safely escaped. She had gracefully avoided Inuyasha's strikes, her anger now directed towards him.

"Even the way you fight— covered in blood and like a savage animal— _you didn't deserve him_!"

" _You murdered him_!" Inuyasha roared back. "For no reason!"

"I had a reason!" She narrowed her eyes. "And it's staring right at me," she grit out.

Inuyasha turned to Sesshomaru, who had been watching silently, his face carefully blank. "You have nothing to say? She killed our father."

Sesshomaru's eyes hardened at the mention of their shared parentage, but there was a split second where his gaze wavered.

"What did she tell you to make you hate me so much? I didn't even know that I had a fucking sibling until two years ago. And then he— you— tried to kill me later that summer. You _knew_ I existed—"

"Do not blame your mother's secrets on—"

"It was _your_ mother that refused to let our father share any information about you! He wanted us to meet. He wanted us to be brothers! But he respected _her_ fucking wishes."

Tomiko hissed, "My son deserved more than a father who would leave us for a human and a half-breed! I ended Toga's long-running insult to protect my son! Sesshomaru would not live with Toga's disgrace!" She smiled. "And now he's the most powerful inuyoukai in the region— if not the world. _My_ son."

The entire room stilled, a wariness settling over everyone inside. Kouga ran back, stopping short at the sight while Ayame was quick to hush him, her non-swollen eye wide and disbelieving as she stared at Tomiko. The older woman's placid smile hadn't slipped at all.

"You _knew_!?" Inuyasha spat at Sesshomaru. "You just _let_ her murder him?"

"Shut up, Inuyasha!" Rin screamed, stepping in front of Sesshomaru protectively. "You don't know what you're talking about!"

"The fuck, I _don't_ , Rin! You expect me to fucking believe that he had no idea? You'd have to be a goddamn idiot—"

"I'd rather see it as his mother was extraordinarily clever." Tomiko's gold eyes hardened. "Sesshomaru understands that I did it all for him. Don't you?"

Inuyasha lunged towards them and mayhem erupted again. Sesshomaru quickly grabbed Rin and leapt to safety while Tomiko dodged Inuyasha's strike.

She tutted her tongue in annoyance. "Honestly, Sesshomaru, get her out of here."

Rin's eyebrows raised and she stared at Tomiko in shock that she showed any sign of concern for her. Sesshomaru also stared at his mother with a tinge of surprise.

"She's no longer of any use to us— there's no reason to keep her here."

The expression on Rin's face was akin to as if she had been socked in the stomach. She paled and turned to watch Sesshomaru's facial expression.

"What did I tell you, Rin?" Inuyasha's tone held a shade of pity as he watched her. "They're not good people."

Rin shook her head vehemently. "You don't know what you're talking about!" she yelled, but her voice shook uncertainly. She tried to wrestle Sesshomaru's arm away from her, but he held firm.

"Mother," he said, a warning in his tone.

Tomiko huffed. "You insist on taking things too far, Sesshomaru."

"Mother," Sesshomaru said again, this time with more finality.

"You're going to have to make a choice eventually," she sneered. "And you'll need to choose wisely."

Inuyasha grit his teeth and growled, "Or what? You'll kill your own son, too? Because someone else chose a _human_ over you? Get off of your fucking high horse, lady!"

There was a flash of green light and Inuyasha quickly leapt out of the way from where Tomiko's poisonous whip struck. Kouga ran to his side and helped him up, rolling his eyes when Inuyasha shrugged him off.

"Seem to have upset her," Kouga commented, raising a dark brow at the livid inuyoukai, murder in her eyes.

"No shit," Inuyasha bit out. "Bitch didn't even deny it," he said pointedly, looking at Sesshomaru.

"Because it's ridiculous," Tomiko said smoothly. "What effect do the words of a half-breed bastard have on _us_? I did it all for my son because I love him.

"And if I were to take Rin for my mate?" Sesshomaru's voice was quiet but captivated everyone. His face, as per usual, revealed nothing, but his eyes were trained on his mother. "If I were to take Rin as my mate?" he asked again, an edge to his voice

Tomiko huffed and pursed her lips. "If that's what would make you happy," she said eventually… reluctantly.

" _Bullshit_ ," Inuyasha scoffed. He momentarily ignored his dysfunctional somewhat-family to scan the room. It reeked of blood and the acrid remnants of fired guns. Tomiko and Sesshomaru's arrogance shown through the number of their men. Even if they were highly skilled, there was a limit to how much they could withstand multiple units of highly trained youkai forces. The thugs were either dead, maimed, or bound. There was no way that this wouldn't end without Inuyasha apprehending his father's first family— at best. Worst case scenario, he would kill them. Inuyasha eyed the look on his estranged brother's face. Maybe he wouldn't have to do a damn thing.

"Kouga, you've got one minute," he called out.

"Ayame, _come on_!" Kouga snarled, pulling at the other wolf youkai, but she remained firm.

"You're his _partner_! How can you leave him?"

"Because not everything's about him!"

"Kouga, I _won't_!"

Kouga pressed his lips together and lunged at Ayame, ducking her outstretched hands to wrap his arms around her waist and throw her over his shoulder. He ignored how she beat at his back and clawed at his shoulders in order to run her out. He hissed at a particularly deep scratch. "I don't give a damn! I'm getting you out of there— they've already hurt you and they're not going to keep hurting you!"

The scowl melted off of Ayame's face and she stopped fighting his hold. Kouga took the opportunity to glance at her before looking away to navigate through the labyrinth of the old hotel.

"Kouga, I thought we—"

" _You_ made your feelings perfectly clear. Had no effect on mine."

Ayame's cheeks pinked but she shook her head. "You're just lonely."

"And?"

"You're reaching."

Kouga smirked. "As much as I'd like to continue arguing with you, I need to get back to make sure that baka doesn't get himself killed. Doesn't matter anyway."

Arching a brow, Ayame asked guardedly, "Why?"

Kouga dropped her in the midst of emergency first responders, the flashing lights of all of the vehicles dazing her tired eyes.

He met her eyes and his smirk turned into a small grin. "You'll end up being my girl anyway." Then, he ran back in the direction of the abandoned hotel.

Ayame gaped after him, her cheeks warming before a paramedic took her to get her wounds dressed. A woman rushed past her and the lingering scent told Ayame that it was Kagome.

"Kouga wait!"

Kouga stopped short and looked over his shoulder. Kagome nearly ran into him and stumbled before thrusting something into his arms.

"Give that to him."

Kouga stared at the crimson fabric then back at Kagome. "Inuyasha wanted you to wear this," he reminded her.

"I don't need it," Kagome insisted. "I'm here. I'm safe. You two made sure of that." She injected enough sarcasm into her voice that it brought a reluctant smile to Kouga's face. She matched it for a moment before the corners of her mouth curved down into a worried frown.

"He never wears enough Kevlar."

Scoffing, Kouga muttered, "Try doesn't wear _any_." He nodded at Kagome and quickly wrapped her up in a one-armed hug, briefly brushing his lips against the top of her head reassuringly. "Now that the three of you are out of there, we can do our job and know that you guys are safe."

Kagome hugged him tightly but quickly relinquished him. She pursed her lips and let out a breath. "Be safe," she said encouragingly.

"I'll make sure he gets back to you."

" _Both_ of you."

Kouga nodded at her before running back towards the building. An officer was quick to usher Kagome a safe distance away, but Kagome's eyes never left the broken down building. It was Ayame calling out to her that forced Kagome to look away. She hurried over to her, hugging her fiercely.

"Are you alright?" Kagome pulled back and immediately looked her over. "Of course you're not. I'm being so stupid—"

"I'm alright, Kagome," Ayame assured her. "I'll mostly heal by tomorrow. Where's Izayoi?"

"They had to take her to the hospital— had to take a deeper look at a lot of her injuries. She lost a lot of blood, too."

Ayame sighed. "I tried to protect her."

"Hey, we know. Believe me, and Inuyasha and I won't be able to thank you enough. That woman is insane. Who knows how bad it would've gotten if you weren't there?"

Ayame narrowed her eyes at the mention of Tomiko. "That bitch is fucked up. The sooner Kouga and Inuyasha deal with her, the better."

"They'll be fine. I know that they can do it. This hellish situation will finally be done with."

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" Ayame asked dryly.

Kagome blinked. Chewing on her lower lip, she answered slowly, "Inuyasha will do it. He's going to avenge his father, Izayoi… you… my father—" Kagome's voice broke. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath.

"He's going to make sure that those two won't hurt anyone ever again. Not just for his sake or my sake but for _everyone_ who's lost something because of them and their selfishness."

"She's crazy, Kagome."

Kagome nodded. "That's what's so scary about her…"

"We don't know what lengths she'll go to," Ayame continued.

The two women's eyes met and Ayame's widened just a second before Kagome felt it as well. Ayame pushed Kagome to the ground and a nearby officer was quick to cover the both of them as much as possible as the force of the blast rushed past them, a bright light encapsulating the entire area.

Kagome coughed and scrubbed her face of dirt and dust, the motion doing her no good as her hands were also covered in dirt. She rose quickly and turned towards the building, feeling as though her stomach dropped and was in freefall. Kagome vaguely registered the sharp pain in her knees, signifying that she had collapsed onto the concrete. She heard nothing, felt nothing, saw _nothing_. The old building was now a massive pile of rubble and smoke.

Ayame rose and turned to see Kagome on her knees, staring at the mess left behind by the explosion. Tears fell streaked through the dirt on her face and her fingers were curled into tight fists. Kagome's mouth moved quickly, repeating the same words over and over.

"Please come back. Please come back. Please come back."

"Kagome…" Ayame said softly. She knelt down next to Kagome and gently took her shoulders in her hands. The movement seemed to jar Kagome out of her shock.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed, her face contorted in dread and pain. " _Inuyasha_!"

Ayame tightened her hold on Kagome and closed her own eyes, unable to look at the raw grief on Kagome's face.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome said in a quiet voice. "You promised you would come back," she cried.


	49. Chapter 49

_Last Time…_

_Kagome coughed and scrubbed her face of dirt and dust, the motion doing her no good as her hands were also covered in dirt. She rose quickly and turned towards the building, feeling as though her stomach dropped and was in freefall. Kagome vaguely registered the sharp pain in her knees, signifying that she had collapsed onto the concrete. She heard nothing, felt nothing, saw_ _nothing_ _. The old building was now a massive pile of rubble and smoke._

_Ayame rose and turned to see Kagome on her knees, staring at the mess left behind by the explosion. Tears fell streaked through the dirt on her face and her fingers were curled into tight fists. Kagome's mouth moved quickly, repeating the same words over and over._

_"Please come back. Please come back. Please come back."_

_"Kagome…" Ayame said softly. She knelt down next to Kagome and gently took her shoulders in her hands. The movement seemed to jar Kagome out of her shock._

_"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed, her face contorted in dread and pain. "_ _Inuyasha_ _!"_

_Ayame tightened her hold on Kagome and closed her own eyes, unable to look at the raw grief on Kagome's face._

_"Inuyasha!" Kagome said in a quiet voice. "You promised you would come back," she cried._

* * *

"Inuyasha!" Kagome bellowed, her throat hoarse and her voice croaking. Her tearbright eyes remained focused on the mountain of concrete, glaring at it as if to show her where her mate was.

Ayame looked from where Kagome knelt frozen on the ground to the bustling youkai surrounding them. As soon as everyone got their bearings, all youkai officers set out on trying to clear the rubble and find any hint of life. Her eyebrows furrowed together. Because of the scent tablets that everyone had taken, it made their job much harder.

Kagome brushed off Ayame and shakily got to her feet and started making her way to where the building once stood.

"Hey!" Ayame quickly grabbed her. "What do you think you're doing?"

"She's right, Takado-san. We don't know how stable the site is or if the explosion was complete. It's better if you stay there," another man called out. "Please be patient and let us find the bodies!"

Kagome's face paled. "Bodies," she mouthed.

"Kagome, please listen to us," Ayame pleaded. "What will Inuyasha say later when he finds out you started running _towards_ an unstable explosion site? You'll never hear the end of it!"

Pausing, Kagome turned to Ayame and threw her arms around the wolf youkai's neck. "Thank you," she whispered, grateful that Ayame spoke about Inuyasha in terms of _when_ and not _if_ and that was the support that she needed most.

Rumbling and shouts stole the women's attention and they turned to see many of the youkai rushing towards the source before a bright light burst through the rock, causing many to raise their hands up to shield their eyes. As soon as it had died, Kagome lowered her hands, her eyes crinkling as she waited impatiently for them to adjust. Hope rose at the sight of several men's silhouettes, but her heart sank again just as quickly when she didn't recognize Inuyasha's among them— the familiar triangles perched on the top of his head missing in the crowd.

Kagome ran towards the men, her expression determined. "Where is he?" she demanded.

One of the men looked down at her from where he stood atop the rubble, coughing into his dust-coated arm, his face covered in shallow scrapes and cuts. After several deep breaths, he finally spoke with a raspy voice, "He and Kouga were on the other side of the building. He gave us the order to get out of there."

Blinking in confusion, Kagome asked, "Why?"

"That woman is _insane_ ," he said before another coughing fit came over him.

Kagome backed away as they started to clamber down the pile of rock and away from the building's ruins. She darted her eyes over the huge expanse of the former hotel, searching for any sign of movement. Unknowingly clenching her teeth, she waited while the man she was talking to accepted water from a medic and downed it, small streams spilling out of his mouth and clearing dirt from his chin.

"As soon as he sent Kouga out with the female hostage, he and his brother started going at it. Warned us to get out of there when it started getting serious— sounded like he had something up his sleeve but I don't…" The man sighed and shook his head. "The female inuyoukai told him she was done. We tried to get the hell out of there on his orders then there was this blinding light. Then… everything went dark."

"It wasn't a regular explosion— it was a huge release of youki," Kagome murmured. "Was she really so desperate?"

"Hey! Back off! Something's rumbling!"

Several feet away, youkai personnel were scrambling away from the pile of rocks they were searching. Many of them began to pull out their weapons once they got a safe distance away.

"Keep your guard up! We don't know if it's friendly or hostile!"

"We've got movement over here, too!" Heads swung in the direction of another pile of shifting rock further away.

A clawed hand burst through the piles simultaneously and the sound of guns being readied echoed throughout the site, the air heavy with tension. After, everything was silent except the sound of falling rock and metal. Kagome found herself holding her breath as she waited for the owners of each hand to reveal themselves.

With a loud grunt, someone emerged from the nearest pile, covered head to toe in dust and with blood trickling from a large gash near his temple. He immediately held his hands up. His ears were perched on the top of his head and he wore an aged crimson robe.

"It's me!"

Kagome sagged in relief and a thankful sob escaped from her as she took note of the unmistakable sound of his voice, despite its hoarseness.

Inuyasha turned and pulled a weak Kouga out from the hole behind him. Kouga was limp as Inuyasha dragged him out, his arms hooked underneath his partner's shoulders.

"I need immediate medical attention!" Inuyasha called out.

"Inuyasha," Kagome gasped, more tears spilling over and trailing down her cheeks.

Inuyasha continued to carry Kouga's torso slowly from beneath the rocks until emergency personnel rushed over a stretcher and they shifted him onto it. Kouga let out a low groan from the movement and Inuyasha nodded to himself satisfactorily.

"He's responding to pain— that's good right?"

One of the paramedics nodded. "As far as we know, it's a positive sign that he hasn't sustained major injuries to his nervous system."

"Take care of him, alright? I want regular updates."

"Yes, sir."

They rolled him away and Ayame briefly touched a hand to Kagome's shoulder before rushing over to the stretcher, speaking rapidly. "Take him to Todai— I'm a nurse there. They're aware of the situation and have heightened security prepared. I need to take a look at him…"

Inuyasha turned and finally made eye contact with Kagome, his brows furrowed but the rest of his expression otherwise relieved.

"Kagome…"

He rushed to her and wrapped his arms tightly around her, lifting her up, and resting his chin on the top of her head while she buried her face in his chest, her whole body heaving with relieved sobs. When he pulled back, his hands gently cradled the sides of her face, brushing away her tears with his thumbs. Inuyasha kissed the top of her forehead lightly.

"Told you I'd come back," he said with a low voice, a ghost of a smirk on his lips. His expression sobered and Inuyasha probed her with scrutinizing eyes as he gently stroked her face. "You okay?"

Kagome lifted her hands to hold his wrists and nodded. "I'm fine— what happened?" She eyed the trail of blood leading from his temple and pulled her sleeve down to wrap around the heel of her palm and pressed it against the wound.

"It's fine, Kagome. Head wounds bleed a lot." His comment earned a mild glare and the pressure increased slightly on his temple.

Inuyasha winced but allowed her fussing, offering an almost amused smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Crazy bitch basically admitted that she murdered my father out of spite. And she lied to Sesshomaru. He believed it when she told him that _we_ were the reason he died— my mom and me."

Inuyasha's lips were pressed into a tight line and his eyes were somber. Kagome could see the storm brewing in the golden depths. She took one of his hands and pressed his knuckles to her lips, earning a softening in his gaze before he took a deep breath and continued.

"Then, Sesshomaru… he brought up Rin and it got messy between _them_. Between missing out on the chance to hurt my mom anymore and Sesshomaru turning on her, Tomiko finally lost it."

"That was her? We all felt the huge wave of youki before the actual explosion."

"If Kouga hadn't handed me my old man's robe— if you hadn't given it to him… I don't know, Kagome. I might be on my way to the hospital with Kouga. Kouga might not have even had a chance to get to the hospital."

Kagome wrapped her arms around his chest tightly. "But you're okay. We're okay."

Inuyasha pressed his lips to her temple and nodded in agreement.

"Put your hands up!"

Inuyasha immediately turned and pushed Kagome behind him as he looked towards where the men had their guns pointed, instantly pulling his weapon out as well. As he neared the other pile of rubble, Inuyasha could see Sesshomaru's torso huddled closely over something, his usually pristine appearance now marred by dirt and blood, his tailored clothes ripped apart. Inuyasha froze at the scent that came to him and lowered his weapon slowly and holstered it.

"Let us help her!" he called out.

A snarl ripped itself from Sesshomaru, his lips curled back and showcasing his fangs, much larger than before. The inuyoukai's eyes were no longer the same familiar shade of gold as Inuyasha's but bled a crimson color with blue irises instead.

Inuyasha scowled at Sesshomaru, insisting, "Your fucking arrogance will be the death of her!"

Kagome gasped, peering out from behind Inuyasha to see that the older man was hunched over Rin's body, hugging her close with one arm. She was covered in blood and Kagome could see that Sesshomaru had lifted fallen debris off of where she was crushed under its weight. Rin stared at Sesshomaru, her chest shaking with every labored breath.

"Mizuki, make him listen to fucking sense!" Inuyasha yelled. "It's _your_ life on the line."

Rin's glassy eyes rolled from where she watched Sesshomaru to Inuyasha. Inuyasha frowned at the vacancy in her usually lively gaze.

"C'mon, I know you're not this stupid. _Sesshomaru_ — is your pride worth her life?!"

The inuyoukai glared at his younger brother, snarling and snapping his fangs, tightening his hold on Rin. Rin took in another rattling breath, making it apparent that she was choking on her own blood and likely suffering from heavy internal bleeding. With what seemed like a herculean amount of effort, she rolled her head back to face Sesshomaru and smiled weakly.

"I have no regrets, Sesshomaru. I would do it all over again just to be at your side. You saved my life and I'm glad to die next to you," she rasped out. "That's all I've needed, is to be by your side."

Sesshomaru's expression settled down, his eyes returning to gold, and he inclined his head at her. "I have no regrets, as well. Rin… my mother… she is _wrong_. You are more than—"

Rin closed her eyes and sighed placidly. "I know. It's okay."

"Please… she's dying," Kagome's soft voice carried and cut through the tension. "There's a chance for her to survive this. You'll only end up hating yourself if you don't give her that chance."

Inuyasha's eyes remained on his half-brother but his ears twitched restlessly as Kagome moved around him, slightly revealing herself. He shifted to try and push her behind him, but she resisted his efforts. Kagome's eyes were wide and sincere as she pleaded.

"You saved her life for a reason. Don't let this be it. The two of you haven't even lived a life _together_ , not really."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and glared at Kagome. He hissed, "As if it would matter."

"Doesn't it?"

"Do you think me so stupid to believe that either of us would be allowed to walk away from what we've done? There's only one outcome for us. And _that_? A life in captivity? I would rather have her die in my arms than banish her to live out a miserable life alone. From the beginning, I saved her so she could be _free_." Sesshomaru shifted to awkwardly pull her closer to his body.

Kagome gasped as the motion revealed that the inuyoukai had actually lost his left arm in the explosion, his previously meticulous dress shirt torn and bloody, hanging loosely without a limb to fill it out.

"You're hurt, too," she murmured.

"Don't bother with your useless pity. I don't need it," he snapped. He looked down at Rin in his arm, then back at Inuyasha. "Alright, _little brother_. You have me where you want. Take your revenge."

Inuyasha shook his head. "No."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. "No?"

"No. A bullet in the head would be too quick for you. You deserve to fucking rot for all of the destruction you've caused. You and your crazy mother."

Sesshomaru sniffed haughtily. "You don't have to worry about my mother anymore, do you?"

"Keh! She killed our father and tried to kill my mother— I won't feel any remorse that she ended up killing herself because of her own arrogance."

Kagome raised her eyebrows at that. The insane amount of youki she felt being released concurrently with the explosion was exactly what she thought it was. She still couldn't fathom that Tomiko would be so desperate to kill Inuyasha that she would sacrifice herself and potentially her own child. Kagome looked over Inuyasha, amazed that he managed to survive until she remembered the durability of the crimson robe he had draped over his torso.

"As far as I'm concerned, you deserve nothing more than to live out the rest of your miserable existence alone knowing that you brought all of this shit upon yourself," Inuyasha sneered. His gaze roved over Rin's still form. "But we can still help Rin if you let us."

Sesshomaru's mouth quirked into a twisted affectation of a smile for just a moment before his expression fell. "If you truly care so much for her… Then let me have this moment with her."

Inuyasha stared at the older youkai warily, his jaw twitching as he considered him.

Gold met gold and Sesshomaru's brow furrowed as he spoke. "I know that you owe me nothing. But consider it an act of good faith in honor of our father. You said it yourself— Father hoped that we would one day meet and consider each other _brothers_."

Inuyasha continued to glare at Sesshomaru, gritting his teeth and shifting his jaw as he thought it over. "Fuck!" he hissed. "Everyone back off— just a few feet."

The men surrounding them stared at Inuyasha warily before grudgingly stepping away from the two brothers, though they kept their weapons trained on the elder Takado. Kagome tightened her grip around Inuyasha's arm and he kept her behind him, his eyes quickly sliding over to her before turning on his brother again. His ears moved restlessly and again, he heard the weak rattling of air in Rin's lungs. Kagome made a small sound of sympathy and Inuyasha shook his head minutely.

"It's too late," he murmured lowly.

Kagome looked from the scene in front of them to her mate, a solemn expression on his profile. She sighed and rested her head against his shoulder, looking back to the couple in the rubble.

"Rin." Sesshomaru's voice was calm and clear, as usual, but he spoke her name with much more tenderness than he'd ever shown.

Rin kept her eyes closed but she tried to take in another sharp breath, though each breath was harder and harder to come by now. She allowed her lips to part when she felt the strands of his long hair graze over her as he leaned in close. She wasn't in pain, not anymore, but she was exhausted. When she felt the warm drop hit her skin, she fought the heaviness to open her eyes, shocked.

Sesshomaru stared deep into her eyes and she could've sworn there was the smallest hint of a smile curving his lips. She tried to give him a smile back, but she was _so_ tired. Another rare tear fell from the inuyoukai and landed on her cheek. Sesshomaru made a face as he couldn't wipe it away as his remaining arm held Rin's body close to his.

"Sesshomaru…"

He shook his head and shushed her gently. "Don't speak, save your energy. I want you to know that you were never just a pawn for me to use. I…you mean _very_ much to me. I couldn't let my mother harm you. I didn't show it well, but since meeting you, you've brought me nothing but joy."

His words spurred Rin to venture another attempt at a smile and she hoped it succeeded. She managed to reach and grab the hand that held her body close and squeezed it as hard as she could. She hoped he could feel it. "You saved my life," she said simply. "I owe you mine."

Her eyes closed again. "I'm happy to be with you, Sesshomaru. This is all I could've wanted."

"Rin…" Sesshomaru shook his head slightly and tightened his hold on her.

"Thank you."

Sensing that she was fading, Sesshomaru leaned down and gave her a last kiss, feeling the warmth finally leave her. He grit his teeth and pulled away, looking over the peaceful expression on her face.

Inuyasha watched passively, furrowing his brow when he realized his former colleague had died. "Sesshomaru, let us take her body so it can be properly buried," he called out.

Sesshomaru turned his head to glare at his younger brother, the two in a staring match until the elder nodded once. Inuyasha gave Kagome a meaningful look before removing himself from her grip and moving towards his brother. The other men followed in suit, their weapons still aimed at Sesshomaru. Slowly, with his hands up, Inuyasha approached him and reached for Rin's body.

Without breaking eye contact with Sesshomaru, Inuyasha carefully held Rin's body close to his chest and backed away with it before someone rushed towards him with a gurney for him to place her body. Once Inuyasha had reached a safe enough distance, all of the men swarmed in around Sesshomaru, though he made no effort to resist and merely continued to watch as Rin's body was placed in a bag and zipped up before being rolled away.

Inuyasha turned to give his brother a final look before taking Kagome into his arms and holding her fiercely, his shoulders sagging with exhaustion and relief that it was finally over. He took a deep breath when her arms wrapped around his chest with equal ferocity.

* * *

"Nee-chan!" Souta exclaimed, immediately wrapping up his older sister in a tight hug.

"Souta!" Kagome returned the hug with equal fervor. "Thank kami you're alright— where's Jii-chan?"

"He's fine, he's resting in one of the waiting rooms with Sango's family." He raised his head and caught his sister's mate walking towards them. "Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha smiled tiredly. "Twerp." He groaned when Souta hugged him roughly as well and the younger man stepped away hurriedly. "It's fine. Just sore." He rolled his neck and shoulders, groaning again at the sound of a few joints cracking. "Fuck, really gonna feel this for the next few hours."

Kagome commented wryly, "Well when you live through an explosion, there's bound to be some soreness."

Souta's eyes widened. "Explosion?"

Brushing him off, Inuyasha rolled his eyes and asked, "How's it been here?"

"Sango's okay. Still not completely cleared because of her head injury, but she's woken up a few times and managed to have short conversations. I've been watching her while Miroku's been called to the trauma unit. Your friend from work, too. Shippo? He takes over when I need to catch some sleep."

"That's him, alright."

"What about the rest, Souta?"

"Things got crazy about two hours ago. That's the last time I saw Miroku and everyone started yelling and moving through the halls… I thought it was best that I stay with Sango and Shippo in her room." He looked between the two. "Why? What happened? Is everyone okay?"

Kagome gripped Souta's shoulders to calm him down. "We saved Inuyasha's mother and Ayame. Or, Inuyasha and Kouga did. But Izayoi and Kouga got hurt pretty badly. I thought I heard Ayame telling the paramedics to bring them here… but if it's been as busy as you said, they might have rerouted them if there wasn't room."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as he looked down the halls. "Ayame wouldn't have let that happen. They're here somewhere." He sighed and scrubbed his face with his hands. "My mom's probably in surgery due to the extent of her injuries and Kouga shouldn't be… he might be sedated somewhere in here." He reached in his back pocket for his phone and frowned. "No updates."

"I'm sure as soon as Ayame has news, she'll let us know."

Inuyasha grunted noncommittally. Kagome frowned and gently ushered her brother towards the waiting room. "Do me a favor and let the others know? I feel filthy and could use a shower so we'll meet up with them once we get cleaned up."

Souta nodded and headed down the hall towards their family. Kagome grabbed Inuyasha's hand and pulled him towards the nurse's station.

"Kagome?"

"Trust me." She pulled them up to the desk and the charge nurse raised her eyebrows at them. Kagome blushed but asked, "We've come from the explosion site… we were cleared by medical, but I was hoping you could point us in the direction of the locker room showers so we could visit our friends who are still injured without being covered in…" she gestured at herself.

The nurse considered them before nodding once. "You're friends with Kobayashi."

"We are," Kagome responded.

"I shouldn't be doing this, but take this and bring it back." She slid her access card across the counter and looked into Kagome's eyes. "No funny business."

"None," Kagome promised.

"Go down this hall to your left and tap the card against the reader of the fourth door on the left. They're co-ed showers, but something tells me you two won't run into any staff. Everyone's been called to trauma and emergency. Extra scrubs are kept in there, too."

Kagome offered a smile at her. "Thank you so much. We'll be back soon." She grabbed the access card and hurriedly tugged Inuyasha along behind her.

Once she figured out how to get the water at the right temperature and steam started rising, Kagome turned and pulled at Inuyasha, encouraging him to step into the stall with her. He resisted slightly.

"Kagome, what are you—"

"We just survived multiple explosions, multiple gunshots, an indiscriminate amount of emotional trauma, I _need_ to wash this off. And I need to know that you're okay," Kagome murmured. She wasted no time in pulling her shirt over her head and kicking off her pants, both soaked from the stream of hot water pouring over her. The water at their feet turned murky and brown from the dirt and dried blood.

For all the insistence Kagome spoke and moved with, her hands were gentle as she pushed back the crimson robe from Inuyasha's shoulders, taking the time to neatly hang it over the door of the stall before slowly pulling Inuyasha's shirt over his head, careful not to move suddenly and aggravate his injuries. Inuyasha watched her tenderly and helped her remove his pants until they were both naked underneath the water.

Kagome beckoned for Inuyasha to lower down so she could lightly wash the dried blood out of his hair from his head wound, careful with the shampoo and shushing him soothingly when he hissed at the soap's contact with open skin. Satisfied once his silver hair was clean, Kagome set to work on carefully washing away the blood from the rest of his body. As her palms passed over the expanse of his chest, she lightly kissed at the dark purple blotches from where he had taken blows. Kagome massaged the juncture where his neck met his shoulders, and meticulously made sure that no remnants of the last night remained on his skin.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha breathed. His heart swelled at the love and care that his mate showed him and he gently cradled her face to pepper her face with light kisses. His claws raked through her hair and he applied pressure to her scalp as he washed her hair, feeling pride when Kagome sighed in response and lifted her face to him, baring herself in complete trust.

He took special care as he washed her body, his hands lingering as they slid down her spine, passed over her hips, and moved over her abdomen. Inuyasha knelt down to make sure that all of Kagome was clean before resting his forehead against her belly and hugging his arms around the back of her legs. Kagome instinctively crouched over him protectively and cradled his head. Kagome could feel Inuyasha take in deep breaths as he reassured himself that she was okay and safe in his arms.

Rising to his feet, his eyes met hers, and he held her tightly.

"I'm okay, Inuyasha. It's over," she whispered.

Inuyasha tucked her head underneath his chin and closed his eyes, letting her words wash over him, more effective in their soothing balm than the hot water.


	50. Chapter 50

_Last Time…_

_For all the insistence Kagome spoke and moved with, her hands were gentle as she pushed back the crimson robe from Inuyasha's shoulders, taking the time to neatly hang it over the door of the stall before slowly pulling Inuyasha's shirt over his head, careful not to move suddenly and aggravate his injuries. Inuyasha watched her tenderly and helped her remove his pants until they were both naked underneath the water._

_Kagome beckoned for Inuyasha to lower down so she could lightly wash the dried blood out of his hair from his head wound, careful with the shampoo and shushing him soothingly when he hissed at the soap's contact with open skin. Satisfied once his silver hair was clean, Kagome set to work on carefully washing away the blood from the rest of his body. As her palms passed over the expanse of his chest, she lightly kissed at the dark purple blotches from where he had taken blows. Kagome massaged the juncture where his neck met his shoulders, and meticulously made sure that no remnants of the last night remained on his skin._

_"Kagome…" Inuyasha breathed. His heart swelled at the love and care that his mate showed him and he gently cradled her face to pepper her face with light kisses. His claws raked through her hair and he applied pressure to her scalp as he washed her hair, feeling pride when Kagome sighed in response._

_He took special care as he washed her body, his hands lingering as they slid down her spine, passed over her hips, and moved over her abdomen. Inuyasha knelt down to make sure that all of Kagome was clean before resting his forehead against her belly and hugging his arms around the back of her legs. Kagome instinctively crouched over him protectively and cradled his head. Kagome could feel Inuyasha take in deep breaths as he reassured himself that she was okay and safe in his arms._

_Rising to his feet, his eyes met hers, and he held her tightly._

_"I'm okay, Inuyasha. It's over," she whispered._

_Inuyasha tucked her head underneath his chin and closed his eyes, letting her words wash over him, more effective in their soothing balm than the hot water._

* * *

"You look gorgeous," Kagome sighed, a wistful smile curving her lips. She held her hands out and waited as the older woman gripped them tightly before rising to her feet, still moving gingerly. "Really, every time we come to visit, you look better and better."

Izayoi smiled at her son's mate kindly. "Thank you, Kagome."

"I mean it!" Kagome appraised Izayoi thoughtfully. Her movements were less graceful than they might have been a few months ago, but Izayoi was still healing from the injuries sustained after being abducted by Tomiko and Sesshomaru. "Your movements seem better, too. How has physical therapy been going?"

"Quite well. Thank you for recommending me to your father's old team of therapists. They're amazing. I wouldn't have imagined that I could have this much mobility so soon."

"Of course, I couldn't let you go anywhere else. Inuyasha and I want to make sure that you have the best help."

Izayoi smiled indulgently, relinquishing one of Kagome's hands to cup the younger woman's cheek affectionately. "I don't expect otherwise from the two of you and I'm grateful." She adjusted her hold so that both of her hands gripped onto Kagome's offered elbow and they walked side-by-side through Izayoi's house.

As soon as they stepped through the front door, Inuyasha materialized at their side instantaneously. He gently kissed his mate's cheek in thanks before pulling his mom's hands away from Kagome's elbow and lifting the woman and carrying her to his car. Kagome shook her head and laughed lightly as Izayoi protested halfheartedly. She turned to lock Izayoi's home behind her before joining them in the car, still laughing under her breath even as he pulled onto the road.

"Really, Inuyasha, I'm convalescing, not an invalid."

Inuyasha murmured a characteristic, "Keh!" as he continued to drive.

Kagome's grin widened. "Izayoi, you know as well as I do how much of a mama's boy he is. There's no reason you should even have to lift a little finger in his presence," she teased.

Izayoi gave her son a warm smile and smiled a bit secretively. "Kami only knows. I can just imagine what an overprotective father he'll be should you two decide to have children."

Kagome blushed, but Inuyasha appeared to have not heard his mother, though all of the car's occupants knew better.

Seamlessly, Izayoi changed the subject, commenting, "Oh this area is lovely," as she turned to look out of her window.

"It is, isn't?" Kagome agreed enthusiastically. "Hopefully, this will be the last time we move for a very _long_ time."

"Try _ever_ ," Inuyasha muttered. "I never want to pack or unpack a box ever again. We're staying here, Kagome." He reached across and grabbed one of her hands, interlacing their fingers before bringing her hand to his mouth and pressing his lips to her knuckles.

"Well it's too late to change our minds. We can't move back into our old apartment. Souta's already claimed it as _his_ ," Kagome giggled. "I still can't believe that he's finally graduated and has a career and is living on his own. Izayoi, how did you not panic letting a menace like _Inuyasha_ loose into society? I'm struggling to imagine Souta handle his first utility bill."

Izayoi smiled wryly. "Something to do with the very responsible young woman he went to university with. I knew he was in good hands."

Kagome sighed dramatically. "Souta's ruined, then."

Inuyasha chuckled. "I wouldn't speak too soon. My sources tell me he's got someone keeping him in line and that he _might_ be bringing her over tonight."

"And you didn't tell me?!"

"Brother's prerogative."

Kagome shrugged. "It must be serious if he intends on bringing her to our housewarming to meet the family. I hope that means he won't be late…" Her eyes lifted as she gazed through the windshield. "Speaking of… welcome to our home, Izayoi."

Inuyasha and Kagome's new home wasn't as grand as her marital home with Kouga, though it was still roomy and comfortable. It was on the outskirts of the city, both to Inuyasha and Kagome's delight, and their property included a handsome acreage of wooded forest, which sealed the deal for the couple. Kagome loved the immediate warmth and coziness of their new home; Inuyasha appreciated how its relative seclusion allowed himself and Kagome a private bubble in the world.

Kagome let Izayoi take her elbow again and guided her up the path leading to their front door.

"How beautiful," Izayoi complimented. "I see that you've planted some of the seedlings I gave you…" Her violet eyes appreciatively roved over the fledgling flowerbeds that lined the path and front of the home before they met with Kagome's.

Kagome nodded excitedly and responded brightly, "I can't wait to see how they bloom next spring." Her gaze momentarily flicked over to Inuyasha and to the side gate of their house before returning to Izayoi, nodding knowingly.

Inuyasha grabbed the women's bags as well as the cake they had picked up and hurried past them to beat the two women to the front door so he could make sure they wouldn't have any obstacles as Izayoi came in. As he reached for the knob to open it for them, he stared as the door opened before he grabbed it. Miroku grinned as he held up a brass key. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and pushed past his best friend, grumbling, "That's not why I put you in charge of our spare key, dickhead. What are you doing here? You're early."

Inuyasha turned and raised an eyebrow, "More importantly, how did you get scent tablets? I can't smell you. Any of you."

Miroku stayed silent, and wrapped a guiding arm around Izayoi's shoulders as she moved from Souta's hold to his. Miroku smiled and stepped aside with her, allowing Souta to close the front door behind them. Souta smiled awkwardly at his older brother figure.

"Miroku, Souta, I don't know why you have that damn look on your faces. What's going on? What's with the scent tablets? Where'd Kagome run off to?"

"Inuyasha, if you'd stop talking for a second and just used your skills of observation, you can figure it out." Miroku nodded towards the hall over the hanyou's shoulder, the self-indulgent grin never leaving his face. He leaned in close to Izayoi and whispered, "Really don't know how he got so far in his career,"

Izayoi giggled and urged her son, "Go on, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at the three of them and continued walking deeper into his home, through the entry way, and into the open plan living room and kitchen. He inclined his head at Sango, Katsumi, and a young woman he assumed was Souta's girlfriend as they stood around the large island in the kitchen. He put down the cake as well as Kagome and Izayoi's bags.

No sooner had Inuyasha opened his mouth, than Souta interrupted from behind, "Keep going, Inuyasha."

Sango laughed, "Always so pessimistic." She pointed towards the sliding doors that led to their large backyard. "Not all surprises are bad."

"Keh! Speak for yourself, Sango." Inuyasha's eyes trained onto the scattered petals leading from the kitchen. He took a tentative sniff and narrowed down the floral overtone to realize that they were peony petals. "What's she got up her sleeve?" he murmured.

"If you keep standing around here asking yourself, you'll never find out, baka!" Sango playfully scolded. "Get a move on!"

He smirked at her and followed the path of petals outside, past their patio, and onto the rough trail that Inuyasha and Kagome had begun to clear in the yard to lead into the wooded area behind their home. As soon as he saw her, his heart stopped and he equally froze. Kagome knelt atop a quilt at the center of a sporadic spread of candles, bathed in their warm light, with a serene smile on her face. She had never looked more beautiful in his eyes. Inuyasha's heart immediately felt like it was about to burst out of his chest. He turned behind him and saw their family and closest friends crowded together on their back patio with eager smiles, wanting to give the couple their space.

"Kagome— what's going on? What is this?"

"Surprise?" Kagome's sheepish smile slowly fell and she explained, "I wanted them here for this and knew that if you caught any of their scents, you'd immediately be suspicious. I asked Kouga for the scent tablets. I know you hate surprises, but I really wanted to just have _one_ for you."

"Why?"

She laughed lightly and cocked her head at him. "You really don't know?" She threw her head back in another laugh before meeting his golden eyes sincerely and lovingly. Kagome spoke emphatically, "I love you, Inuyasha. You're… you are my _best_ friend. You've seen the darkest parts of me and protected me from myself when I couldn't let anyone else in. And you do it so selflessly and with nothing but care for the wellbeing of everyone around you, even at the risk of your own pain. Especially when you deserve so much more than I could ever give you."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to protest but Kagome held a hand up. "I am so, _so_ , incredibly lucky to have met you and I know that no matter what lifetime we meet in, I will always find you. I will always stay at your side. I will always love you. You're my soulmate.

Kagome reached behind her and pulled out a small box and looked down at it before shyly raising her gaze to his again. "I know that we're already bonded together for eternity and nothing could hope to match the kind of devotion that bond requires. But… I'd like to ask you to be my husband. I want everyone to know that I wholly love you, accept you, and choose _all_ of you. And I want it to be known your way and my way… in any way that I can proudly say that I am the lucky woman that Inuyasha Takado chose to be his."

Inuyasha's breath caught in his breath as he watched her fingers open the jewelry box to reveal a golden wedding band. He looked up into her honey eyes and found nothing but sincerity, warmth, and her love for him.

"Will you marry me?" she asked quietly.

Inuyasha's ears twitched at the question and he fell to his knees in front of her before cupping her face and pressing his lips against hers urgently. As soon as their lips touched, Inuyasha consumed her and took over Kagome's senses. Her lips moved instinctively against his before she allowed him to deepen the kiss, pressing her body flush against his. He groaned when she opened her mouth to him and entangled her fingers in his hair, trying to pull him closer. He slid his hands down to grip her hips. Keeping his arms around her, Inuyasha slowly pulled away but kept his head bowed close to hers, his eyes lingering closed before he opened them slowly.

Kagome's eyes were half-lidded and her lips slightly swollen. He smiled and pressed another quick kiss to her lips and then the tip of her nose before tucking her closer into his embrace, resting his cheek on the top of her head. " _Fuck_ , Kagome," he breathed. "My heart feels like it's about to explode." He chuckled and the husky sound warmed Kagome from her head to her toes.

"Yes. _Yes_ , just— fucking yes! Kagome, I'll accept whatever role in your life that you'll give me. Protector, best friend, mate, husband, whatever you need from me, I'll do it. No matter what I do, it'll never match what you do for me with your kindness… or strength… or your stubborness." He barked out a laugh, pulled away, and knit his eyebrows at the tears he smelled. He cradled her face and gently used the pads of his thumbs to wipe away her tears. "Keh! Silly woman… why are you crying?"

"Baka, I'm happy," she sniffled.

"You didn't think I'd say 'no', did you?"

Kagome sniffled again and rolled her eyes. "No, but I didn't expect to feel so overwhelmed when you said 'yes'." She looked up at him through her lashes and took his left hand that was softly stroking her cheek and pulled it away before picking up the dropped jewelry box. She took out the wedding band and playfully held it up to his face, squinting one eye as she looked between the ring and Inuyasha's eyes. She grinned. "Perfect shade."

Inuyasha smirked at her and she felt her heart skip a beat at his roguish expression. His smirk deepened and she knew that he heard it. Then, she slid the ring onto his fourth finger and brought his hand to her lips so she could kiss it, their eyes never breaking contact.

"Can we _please_ come hug you guys?" Miroku whined.

Inuyasha and Kagome looked up and back towards the house. Inuyasha snorted and Kagome enthusiastically nodded, squealing with surprise and delight when Inuyasha lifted her up and began spinning her around before dipping his head to give her another kiss. He mischievously held out an arm and blocked everyone from reaching Kagome as they joined them in the grass, but quickly relented and squirmed away when he realized that doing so meant _he_ was the object of their affection. Kagome looked up at him from where she was being swarmed by their family and held out a hand. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and let her pull him back into the fold.

Once they broke apart, their family mostly congratulating Kagome, Izayoi stepped closer to her son and took his hand, holding it tightly. "Inuyasha," she sighed.

"Can you believe it, Mom? Kagome's done the impossible— made an honest man out of me." He stared at his mate with obvious affection until he felt his mother press something into the hand that she held. "Hm?"

With tears shimmering in her violet eyes, Izayoi pressed her hand to Inuyasha's cheek lovingly and used her other one to close his hand over the object. "Consider it a wedding gift from your father and me."

Inuyasha opened his hand and gaped at the ring he hadn't seen in over a decade, not since his father's passing. "What—?"

"It would be nice for it to become a family heirloom, don't you think?" Izayoi looked at the ring with fond nostalgia. The marquise cut canary diamond shone brightly and was securely fastened onto a pavé band. "It matches your eyes… and I'm sure the eyes of any grandchildren I should be so lucky to have."

"Jeez… that's the second time you've mentioned grandkids today," Inuyasha grumbled.

Izayoi smiled with a hint of apology. "An old woman's wishes," she whispered conspiratorially. "And you and Kagome would make such wonderful parents. But, of course, the choice belongs to you two."

Inuyasha glanced at his fiancée and the image of her with a belly full of his child immediately came to mind. His pride, but more importantly, his heart, yearned for that image and child. "Yeah… But I've only had her back for a year. I'm gonna be selfish with her for a little while longer." He smiled at his mother, "Besides, we have all the time in the world."

Izayoi nodded at her old ring. "Don't let her wait too long for that. The girl deserves a little sparkle. As well as a formal welcome into the Takado family." She walked away and gave Kagome a warm embrace before following the others back, escorted by Miroku into the house to serve the celebratory dinner that they helped prepare for the couple.

Kagome turned over her shoulder to beam at Inuyasha and he grinned back, feeling the lightest he had felt in years. He brushed her hair out of her face as it was slightly disheveled by the evening breeze. As he did so, he revealed dual pin pricks in her shoulder. The mark he had given her when they had become mates. He unconsciously rubbed against it and immediately scented Kagome's arousal as well as felt the tremor that passed through her. He smirked and mumbled, "Sorry, didn't mean to."

Slightly breathless, she retorted, "Sure you didn't." Kagome reached up and gently brushed her fingers over the mark her own teeth had left in his shoulder— the only time his skin would remain scarred at her hand. She felt him shiver and smiled at him knowingly.

Kagome saw Inuyasha's gaze darken as his pupils dilated and found herself trapped in the golden depths. The hand on her shoulder wrapped around the back of her neck and pulled her in for a rough kiss. Eyes closed, he pulled away and sighed before pressing his forehead against hers, uncharacteristically breathless.

"You mated with me for my sake. You saved me from myself, like you always do. And I'm still an asshole that doesn't tell you how amazing, smart, wonderful, kind, strong, and beautiful you are. Not enough. I don't know what spirits decided that we should be soulmates, but I'll never be able to thank them enough. I can't wait to marry you."

"Who said we have to wait?"

Inuyasha opened his eyes and cocked an eyebrow at her.

"I don't need a big ceremony. I have you. Our family is here… my grandfather can do it before we eat. I'll have the paperwork done when I go to work on Monday."

"We're missing one thing."

It was Kagome's turn to raise an eyebrow. "We are?"

He lifted her hand and slid his mother's ring onto her finger. "This belongs here, forever. Or at least, until we pass it on to our own daughter." Inuyasha met her eyes meaningfully.

"Oh, Inuyasha," Kagome sighed, a watery smile lighting up her face. She leapt up into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist as she kissed him passionately. "I didn't," she kissed him between phrases, "mate with you… just for _your_ sake. I did it… for mine as well. How long will it take for you to get it through your thick skull? She pulled back and leisurely looped her arms around his neck, knowing he would never drop her. She quipped, "I would be your mate even if we didn't think we were going to die trying to stop your father's demented ex-wife. Though…" she held her hand up and admired how her new ring looked in the light of the sunset, "this is a fabulous perk."

"Keh!" Inuyasha rolled his eyes at her cheeky grin before reaching up to give her another quick peck. "Alright, Kagome, let's get this dinner and ceremony done so I can get to my _real_ treat once everyone leaves." He nipped lightly at her beneath her jaw, making sure to teasingly graze his fangs against the delicate skin of her throat. At the same time, he squeezed her butt as he held her up, earning a gasp.

Kagome recovered quickly, giggling and squealing, "Inuyasha!" though she made sure not to squeal too loudly into his ears.

He burst back into their home, "Oi, Katsumi-jiji! You still remember how to perform marriage rites?"

* * *

"Are you ready?" Inuyasha called out, giving a warning knock before opening the door and stepping inside.

The young woman inside took a deep breath and smiled with her exhale. She turned around from where she stood in front of the full-length mirror. "How do I look?" she asked shyly.

Inuyasha looked her over as she had asked him. She stood proudly, her head held high, with thick silver hair that fell to her waist in carefully styled waves. Her golden eyes were bright and lively, her full pink lips carving across her face in a nervous smile. She wore more make-up than usual, though he was of the mindset that she didn't need a drop of it. But he admitted to himself that she looked more radiant and the subtle colors enhanced her natural beauty.

"Papa?"

"Keh! Tsuki, I'm your father. You already know that I'm going to tell you that you're the most beautiful woman in the world. That isn't going to change all of a sudden."

Tsuki's smile widened, her fangs peeking out. "Papa, you're such a liar."

"Impossible," he scoffed.

"You and I both know that _that_ particular title is reserved specifically for Mama."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Well you look exactly like her, don't you?"

Kagome breezed into the room, holding the hem of her gown so that she didn't step on it. "Hardly," she cut in. "Do you see me with silver hair and gold eyes?"

Inuyasha caught her with an arm around her waist and kissed her quickly. "No, but she's the spitting image of you on the nights of the new moon. Could practically pass for twins." He turned to face his daughter again. "So, I maintain that the two of you are the most beautiful women in the world." He winked at her, prompting a giggle from his daughter.

"He's right, darling. You look stunning. You're going to take Kenji's breath away when he sees you."

Kagome stepped out of Inuyasha's arms to gently smooth her daughter's hair and meticulously run her hand over the white dress, bending down and shaking out the extra fabric at her feet so that the small train fanned out behind her majestically. "Your bridesmaids are waiting for you outside with the photographer to take some more last-minute photos before we get started." She held her daughter's hand tightly, her fingers unconsciously stroking the diamond ring that they had given Kenji when he asked Inuyasha and Kagome for their blessing, the yellow diamond sparkling familiarly.

"Your brothers are waiting, too."

Tsuki made a face and immediately, Inuyasha's heart swelled as the expression brought him back to when she was just a little girl, incensed at being excluded from her older brothers' games for being too young, too small, too much their little sister.

"I hope they're behaving," she grumbled.

Kagome laughed, "You and me, both. But I think your sisters-in-laws' threats are making sure of that." She beamed at her daughter and her voice broke slightly when she spoke. "I love you, Tsuki. Your father and I are so proud of you and so happy for you."

"Mama…" Tsuki's lower lip trembled dangerously.

"Oi! Don't start blubbering and then complain about your make-up!" Inuyasha grouched, waving a hand at them dismissively, though he couldn't fight the strange pressure in his chest that let him know he was just as affected as his mate and daughter. "Get on with it. You've got people waiting. Didn't raise you to be late."

Kagome and Tsuki rolled their eyes and Tsuki kissed Kagome on the cheek before breezing by her father, though not without giving him a kiss on the cheek as well, briefly squeezing his shoulder as she walked out of the bridal suite. Inuyasha watched her leave then turned back to Kagome, who had a knowing smile on her face.

"Keh! What's that look for?"

"It's okay to feel a little sad, Inuyasha. She's your only daughter and she's starting her own life with her mate."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at Kagome. "Keep rubbing it in, then," he snapped.

Kagome giggled, unfazed by his attitude, and wrapped her arms around Inuyasha's neck, kissing underneath his jaw lightly. "I'm experiencing a little empty nest syndrome myself… she's the last one to leave home. You didn't really think that she'd stay with us forever, did you?"

"No," Inuyasha snorted. "She's too much like _you_."

"Yeah? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Some things never change— you're still fishing for compliments." He kissed her forehead before sighing heavily and tightening his arms around her. "So damn smart, kind, doesn't take bullshit from _anyone_ —"

"I'd argue that comes from _you_."

"— and so gorgeous. She's just like you, Kagome. Everyone who meets her falls in love with her instantly. Kenji would've been a damn fool to not have asked her to marry and mate him while he had the chance."

Kagome smiled softly and rested her head against his chest. "You give me too much credit, Inuyasha. I understand that watching her grow up is more difficult than it was for the boys. Tsuki is a daddy's girl through and through. She learned how to be independent, fearless, fiercely loving, and tough as nails from you. You tried so hard to protect her growing up. Truly, it was everyone else that needed protection."

Inuyasha smirked. "Still can't believe she landed a right hook that nearly dislocated Ichiro's jaw when she was nine."

"Could've been worse."

Inuyasha laughed through his nose, the air lightly tickling the top of Kagome's head. "How so?"

"Katsuo could've also nearly gotten his jaw dislocated if he wasn't smart enough to realize he should quit picking on his little sister."

Inuyasha's laugh grew and he sighed in agreement before taking another deep breath. "Kagome…"

Kagome began rubbing her hand across his back soothingly. "I know, Inuyasha. We made some pretty spectacular people."

He sighed and again and nodded, the motion causing strands of his hair to tickle her as they dragged against the bare skin of her arms. "Sometimes… I wake up and I see you laying there next to me... I see their childhood photos around the house and I think, ' _This is really my life?' How the fuck did I manage to deserve this?'_ It all feels like I'll wake up one day and I'm actually alone in my apartment."

Kagome pulled back slightly and cupped his face, stroking his face softly. "It's real, Inuyasha," she assured him softly. "The kids and I are real. This is your life. We've spent the last thirty years together, raising the most rambunctious trio of hanyous the world has ever seen." Her smile grew as she spoke and the sight of it was enough to weaken Inuyasha's knees. "I don't know about you, but I think it's been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life."

Inuyasha deadpanned, "Pretty good time then?"

"Baka," she said affectionately. "They've had the childhood we always wanted, so full of love and with a huge unit of friends and family surrounding them. And I _know_ that they think they have the best Papa in the world. I didn't think anyone could adore you as much as I do, but _phew_ , the sheer adoration and respect when they look at you… every day I wake up thankful, knowing that I'm so lucky that you're my mate and the father of my children."

At her words, Inuyasha immediately felt the strange pressure in his chest again. "Kagome, _I'm_ the lucky one. It was just my mom and me for so long and then you fell into my life… and I'd never been so grateful that someone could be such a klutz."

"Hey!" Kagome giggled.

"There are some choices I wish I hadn't made and pain that I wish I could take away from you… but if it all led to those three kids…"

"Then it was all worth it," Kagome finished. "I wish they could've met my parents… and your father. But I wouldn't change a thing as long as it meant that I'd have you and them. The world is perfect when you're all around."

"Perfect, hm?"

"Well as perfect as reality can be."

Inuyasha leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, not taking for granted the fact that kissing Kagome still set his heart racing and hearing her sigh happily against his lips got his blood rushing.

"Mama? The coordinator said she's ready for the family oh— come _on!_ Aren't you guys too old for this?"

Kagome smiled as she pulled away, while Inuyasha made a face, his brow twitching dangerously. "For fuck's sake, Ichiro."

The spitting image of his father, their eldest child, Ichiro, smirked at them. "Shouldn't you be used to getting cock blocked by now, old man?"

"Ichiro, what's the hold up— _oh I see_." Katsuo peeked his head into the room. Nearly identical to his older bother and father, Inuyasha and Kagome's second child's features were slightly more refined and angular. Izayoi commented on numerous occasions that he was a near clone of his grandfather, if not for the ears sitting atop his head. "Wow, thirty years together and it's still the same bullshit, huh?"

"Oi you two, quit talking like that in front of your mother," Inuyasha scolded.

"Honestly, Inuyasha, they learned it from _you_." Kagome let go of him to take each of her son's offered elbows as they walked out of the room. "This is your sister's big day. I can't believe I'm saying this since you're both grown men, but best behavior, please. No need to make her worried or stress her out."

"Yes, Mama," the two men chorused dutifully.

Inuyasha walked a step behind them, hiding a smile at the sight of the petite woman sandwiched between her two sons. And when he looked up and saw his daughter grinning at the sight of her family walking towards her, he couldn't help but mirror her expression. Once they reached her, Ichiro and Katsuo each planted a kiss on their little sister's cheeks, and their ears moved slightly at the sound of a camera's _click_ capturing the moment. Ichiro and Katsuo shared a smile as Tsuki rolled her eyes at them before holding their arms out for their respective bridesmaids and making their way down the aisle.

A woman with a headset gestured at Kagome and Inuyasha and they stood on either side of Tsuki. Inuyasha placed a hand over Tsuki's where she held onto his elbow. "Nervous?"

Tsuki smiled and shook her head. "I love him, Papa."

The doors opened and Inuyasha and Tsuki's ears twitched at the sound of the guests rising in their seats to turn back and watch them walk down the aisle. His eyes honed in on the young man standing at the altar and he relaxed at the way Kenji kept his gaze on Tsuki with nothing less than pure reverence reflected in his eyes. Inuyasha also sought out where his daughters-in-law were standing and as he passed by them, he quickly found Ichiro's eyes and raised an eyebrow at him. Ichiro's grin grew wider and Inuyasha had to take a deep breath.

' _Of fucking course. Ichiro_ would _have a smug grin on his face. At least he had the decency to not announce her pregnancy before his little sister's wedding._ '

He glanced at Kagome, but her gaze split between Tsuki and Kenji as she smiled graciously during their walk down the aisle. He knew she'd be ecstatic to find out that her first grandchild was on the way. Once at the altar, Inuyasha placed his daughter's hand in Kenji's before shaking the young man's hand firmly, looking him in the eye meaningfully.

"Take care of her."

Kenji nodded, "With everything I have."

Inuyasha nodded back in approval before gently pressing a kiss to the top of Tsuki's head, hearing Kagome welcome Kenji to their family in a gentle whisper before he continued escorting his mate to their seats. He looked down at Kagome from the corner of his eye and interlaced their fingers. She looked up at him at that, already teary-eyed, and he ducked down quickly to kiss her chastely before they turned their attention to their daughter's wedding, relishing the ambience of love that permeated the room and in their bond that allowed it to be possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone who's made it this far. I hope you're all staying healthy and safe during these uncertain times and that, if anything, you were able to escape for a little while with our favorite couple.


End file.
